Unbroken
by Obi the Kid
Summary: Pre-TPM JA era . An apprentice age 13 befriended by Obi-Wan age 14 and Taj age 15 comes to terms with the abuse that his master has inflicted upon him.
1. Chapter 1

WARNING: This story deals with the issue of physical and emotional abuse. There is nothing graphic about the story, but please be aware before reading.

As usual, any typos and mistakes are my own, although I think I found most of them.

TITLE: Unbroken

SUMMARY: Pre-TPM (JA era). An apprentice (age 13) befriended by Obi-Wan (age 14) and Taj (age 15) comes to terms with the abuse that his master has inflicted upon him.

AUTHOR: Obi the Kid - )

RATING: PG-13 (for subject matter)

DISCLAIMER: The characters and venue of Star Wars are copyrighted to Lucas Films Limited. The characters not recognizable from this venue are copyrighted to Tracy C. Knight. The story is the intellectual property of Tracy C. Knight and is copyrighted to her. She makes no profit from the writing or distribution of this story.

Part 1

"Once again, Arun, your sparring techniques are below par. Have you not been practicing the hours that I set for you? You will stay here this evening until you've mastered the counter attack move that I taught last week. I will return in two hours and expect to see much improvement. Do you understand?"

The gruff voice was not to be argued with. Master Salah Vaan threw a hard glare

at his apprentice. His pointed ears turned towards the boy. His long nose inhaling the exhilarating sense of fear. The thick mane of hair on his large head wavered slightly when he spoke. His entire wolf-like appearance gave off a feeling of hostility.

The apprentice he questioned looked up at the tall, broad teacher, but did not meet the coal black eyes. His master strictly forbid direct eye contact during correction. It would be accepted as a sign of defiance. The boy instead bowed deeply and replied only with "Yes, Master Vaan."

"Do not disappoint me again," he growled. The man's clawed fingers folded angrily around his saber as he latched the hilt to his belt, his long heavy strides carried him from the gym.

The padawan was left alone and already centering himself with slow deep breaths. The gym was deserted as it usually was this late into the day. The emptiness was the main reason that his master chose this time for sparring lessons.

It instilled fear.

Arun Na'dav began again, working tirelessly to perfect the sparring move that continued to haunt him. All week he'd battled the technique, but could not yet master it to his teachers' satisfaction. Anything less than perfect was unacceptable. He picked apart each fragment of the technique, but knew where his mistakes were. His body did not allow him to find that perfection that he was so desperate for. If he could get it right, just once, perhaps Master Vaan would be pleased with him.

It wasn't to be. And when the two hours was up and the deep voice sounded behind him, a deep shaky breath was all he could do to prepare.

"Show me what you have learned, Arun."

"Yes, Master." Arun began the move and knew immediately that it was flawed. He didn't dare look at his master for guidance. Instead, he allowed the fear to take control as that first mistake led to another. And another.

He heard the growl from several feet away. It was a low rumbling sound that began in the big man's chest and escalated from there. It meant only one thing. His master was not pleased and there would be consequences for the lack of attention and focus to the exercise.

Arun braced himself as one of the clawed hands grabbed him around the back of his neck and pulled him towards the gym's exit. The boy grimaced in pain as the sharp nails dug into his light green skin, but he did not cry out at the pain. He made no sound at all. His gray eyes remained as they always were, dull and expressionless. His sandy-blonde hair and his practice tunic were already darkened with sweat as he was hauled back to quarters.

Embraced by uncontrollable emotion, neither master nor apprentice paid any mind to the pair of padawans that passed in the hall. Vaan reached their quarters, took a quick look to be certain the corridor was clear, then threw his apprentice through the door.

Arun lay on the floor where he landed knowing better than to even attempt to move. Experience told him it would only make things worse than they already were going to be.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and his best friend Taj Elim continued on to the dining hall for a late evening meal. Their masters had given them a free night to do as they wished and they wanted to take full advantage of it. Their first stop would be to treat themselves to a sweet pala cake dessert.

As they dove into the dessert, something nagged at Obi-Wan. A sense of unease that had come after passing the two Jedi in the hallway.

"Taj, was that Master Vaan that we passed on the way here? I've heard about him, but have never seen him before. He's a little frightening."

Taj scratched his head and thought for a moment. "I think it was. I don't know the padawan. It looked like he was in trouble though. I hope his punishment isn't too severe. Master Jerra is famous for that. He loves to torture me with about fifty extra laps and then four straight hours of meditation. I never feel so exhausted as I do after one of those events. I have to really mess up badly though to get that punishment." His normally black eyes, eyes that had the unique ability to change colors, twinkled and beamed with shades of blue. "Needless to say, I try to avoid screwing up that badly, if I can."

"Only four hours? I've done six. Now that is brutal!"

The pair laughed as they finished stuffing themselves full of pala cakes. The uneasy yet brief feeling momentarily forgotten as their stomachs grumbled for seconds.

Arun was entering the gym the next morning just as the first rays of sun were filtering in through the windows of the enormous room. As it usually was this early in the day, the gym was empty. It would be at least another hour before the early risers made their way for practice. His master followed him, arms crossed and chest high.

"Master, may I try something new today? Perhaps I can perfect the counter attack move if I practice another move that is similar. I will do my best to please you in my efforts."

A low rumbling growl followed by a snort preceded the brusque reply. "No. I want you to start from the beginning. You will run through every riposte move that you have learned previous to today. Each move will be flawless or you will go back and begin again. I will watch from the other side of the gym. My attention will be on your every move, Arun. You will not disappointment me today, will you?"

The thirteen year old shook his head slowly. "No, Master. I will not."

"Begin."

The sparring moves were anything but flawless. Arun's nerves wouldn't allow what his master sought. And he had to start the process over five times in the first hour alone. Other Jedi pairs began to trickle into the gym. The boy's dark green eyes met those of his master posed on the other side of the room. The eyes questioned if he should continue as the number of Jedi around him grew. Vaan had never been fond of conducting his training in a crowd, but refused to be silently questioned by his apprentice about it.

A rough Force push slammed Arun into the wall. Rattled at first, he'd become used to this type of treatment and recovered quickly, taking only a short time to refocus despite the resulting pain where his head had hit the hard surface. He should have known not to question what his master was having him do. He'd been punished for it often enough in the past. Silently he chastised himself for disappointing the man once more.

Even in the uncomfortable crowds now flooding the room, another four hours passed before Vaan called the exercise to a halt. A hard stare was all he needed to inform his padawan that they would leave now. "I'm sorry, Master. I know I am not doing well lately. I will try harder tomorrow. I promise."

"Promises mean nothing. You've promised before and you still continued to make the same errors."

"Yes, Master. I notice that the other padawans are making many of the same errors. Perhaps I can train with a couple of them and we can help each other to get better?"

Vaan's determined strides carried him briskly down the corridor. The boy jogged to keep up. Falling too far behind was not an option. "You would actually ask to train with others who make the same mistakes? What could you possibly learn except how to screw up in other ways. No, you may not train with them. You will continue to train by yourself until you can show me that you can perform these moves to the perfection that I expect from an apprentice. We've been through this before. I grow very tired of your disobedience." The last word faded into a low snarling growl. Arun closed his eyes as the door to their quarters slid shut with a ominous swish behind them.

Sitting in his bed that evening, Arun had nursed his own wounds and done as much self healing as he could. It never helped with the internal pain though. Vaan had announced to him that he was going out for the evening and that the boy was to study for two hours before bed and be prepared for a verbal exam the next morning. Arun did his studies until he felt his master leave. Then he reached under his mattress and pulled out a data-pad writer. He removed the attached pen and pressed in his lock code.

As he started writing, he allowed his mind to drift. He stepped out of his own reality and lost himself in another world. A world of Jedi, but one much different than the one he lived. The tension left his shoulders. The Force wrapped around him and eased his fears. Arun even grinned as he picked up his story where he'd left off. In his stories, he was still a padawan. But his life was what he always hoped it would be and completely unlike that what he knew.

In his writings, he and his master traveled mission to mission to answer calls for aid. They shared a great bond. One that offered him everything that Master Vaan had taken from him.

This particular story had taken him and his master to the other side of the glaxay. Violence met them head on. Violence left him fighting for his life. But he would survive because of the love and caring of his master.

Arun smiled sadly. A few tears slid down his young face. He knew it was time to put his data-pad away. He needed to study. He could not fail the exam that Master Vaan would have for him in the morning.

Once Obi-Wan had completed his sparring practice the next morning, Qui-Gon gave him an hour to clean up before they began their daily meditation session. It was a newer activity that Qui-Gon had started with his apprentice in order to get him into the habit of regular meditation, and to practice patience, one of Obi-Wan's easily identifiable weak points. And naturally, the elder master had been around long enough to know that learners in general weren't quick to volunteer to practice meditation on their own. The young ones were always about action and adventure. But by adding it to their daily routine, not only could Qui-Gon make sure that Obi-Wan was practicing the art, it also allowed him to observe and to offer any suggestions or corrections if he found him having difficulty. Qui-Gon found that his apprentice was able to progress more quickly with certain things if his master was able to devote meaningful individual time with him. And although he wouldn't admit it to his teacher, the fourteen-year-old did feel more comfortable working on his meditation when Qui-Gon was present. It helped created a calmness that he wasn't able to achieve on his own.

So, he had an hour before he needed to meet up with his master. He caught up with Taj after a quick shower. His friend was on his way to his quarters to start studying for a possible mission next month. He and his master had been off field-duty for several weeks as they recovered from some nagging injuries suffered on their previous mission. Taj's master, Jerra Derson, had been nursing the remains of a ripped muscle in his leg. They were limited in what physical training they could do together. In the mean time, the dark-haired apprentice had been spending a lot of time sparring with other students while Jerra was on down-time. He'd also been spending a lot of time with Obi-Wan when they were both between studies.

"Do you really think they'll send you out next month? Master Jerra still has a pretty bad limp."

Taj shrugged. "I don't know. All I was told is that it's possible. Although I think it's just a ploy to get me to study while Master Jerra can't do much physical activity. You know how much fun studying is."

They headed for the Living Gardens to waste away the rest of the hour. The gardens were filled with small trees and bushes and flowers of all varieties and from all over the galaxy. A stream centering the room gave life to the many fish and other water dwelling creatures living there. Qui-Gon had brought Obi-Wan here months ago when they were still trying to work out their differences that had plagued during their first year. Since then, it had become a special place for Obi-Wan to spend time with his master or his friends. It was an easy way to escape the temple for a bit without actually leaving.

The pair took their boots off and let the warm water wash over their bare feet. Several small fish took advantage of the situation and began nibbling on their toes.

At first the boys hurried their feet out of the water, but soon after it became a game to see how fast the fish would return once they put their feet back in. It didn't take long between the silliness of the game and the tickling sensation on their toes, and they were both rolling with laughter. Obi-Wan fell backwards, holding his stomach. He lay on the soft grass to catch his breath.

As he lay there on his back he caught the sight of someone out of the corner of his eye. Lifting his head slightly, he could see it was another padawan sitting in the corner of the gardens leaning against a large rock. He had been watching Obi-Wan and Taj. Of course, once he realized that he'd been seen watching, he immediately redirected his attention back to the data-pad in his lap. Obi-Wan was curious. He'd seen him before. Recently.

Nudging Taj in the arm, Taj nudged him back harder.

"Ouch! Sith. What'd you do that for?"

"You hit me first."

"I didn't hit you. I nudged you."

"It felt like a hit to me. Nudges don't hurt."

"Whatever. Look over there."

Taj turned his head in the opposite direction. Obi-Wan nudged him again.

"Ow! Would you stop that!"

"Then pay attention. I said look over THERE, where I am motioning with my head. Didn't we see him yesterday in the hall?"

"I think so. There aren't many padawans with that light-green complexion."

"He was watching us. Then he saw me watching him watching us then he didn't want to watch us anymore."

"What?" Taj shook his head to try and clear the confusion.

"He was watching us play in the water. When I looked over there, he turned his head away like he'd been caught doing something wrong. We should go introduce ourselves. He seems lonely." Obi-Wan started getting up, when his friend put a tentative hand on his arm.

"I don't know, Obi-Wan. I think he's sitting alone for a reason. He might not want any company."

"Then he can tell us to bug off. Come on."

Leaving their boots behind, the pair made their way to the far corner of the garden and sat down a few feet from the boy. Obi-Wan made the first move.

"Hi. I'm Obi-Wan. This is my friend Taj."

The boy looked up quickly and nodded. His voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm Arun."

"Arun. We saw you yesterday. Did you want to come join us at the water?"

Looking up again, Arun's dark-green eyes lit up momentarily, then fell flat. His master had given him two hours of free time. Only twenty minutes remained. He could not be late returning to quarters.

"No thank you. I…I should be going. My master doesn't like me to be late for studies." He powered off his data-pad and shyly backed away from them. "Please excuse me." Then he hurried out of the gardens.

"That was odd," Obi-Wan said as he and Taj sat staring at each other. "He seemed nervous."

"More scared than nervous." Taj remembered the master that was with him yesterday. Master Vaan. The large wolf-like creature correcting him in the corridor. "Do you think there's something wrong?"

"I don't know. Maybe we'll see him here tomorrow. Let's try and get here the same time tomorrow." Obi-Wan glanced at the wall-chrono. "Sith! I'm late. Gotta go. Bye Taj!"

"Don't forget your boots!"

Obi-Wan ran the halls as quickly as he could. Dodging other Jedi and almost crashing into Yoda before leaping over him. He gave a quick "Sorry, Master Yoda!" as he continued his sprint home. He landed at the door fifteen minutes late. 

Trying to sneak in would do no good. Qui-Gon had the senses of a Baruvian bat. Nothing got by him. So he just opened the door and walked in.

"Hi, Master. I'm late I know. I'm sorry. I will do extra meditation."

"And you will put your boots on while you do it."

Obi-Wan looked down as his feet. Still bare. "Whoops. Sorry. Taj and I were in the Living Gardens. We were dipping our feet in the water and letting the fish nibble on them."

As much as Qui-Gon wanted to be stern right now, he stifled a laugh under his breath and shook his head. "I suppose you will grow out of this eventually. But you will have an extra two hours of meditation after dinner for your tardiness."

"Yes, Master." He sat on the couch and put his socks and boots back on. He pondered for a moment about whether or not to ask Qui-Gon…then decided if he couldn't trust his own master to keep a conversation quiet, he couldn't trust anyone. "Master, do you know Master Vaan?"

"Salah Vaan?"

"I guess so. He's big and has pointed ears, a large mane of hair…"

"Yes, that is him. I know a little of him. Why do you ask?"

"Yesterday Taj and I passed him and his apprentice in the hall. He seems to be a very stern master."

"I believe he is. That student is his first."

"Today we ran into his apprentice. This time he was alone. In the gardens. He was watching Taj and I near the water, so we went over to say hi. He was nervous and seemed scared. Almost like he didn't want to be caught talking to us. He introduced himself and then hurried off, saying he wasn't allowed to be late. The whole situation was very strange, Master. Do you think Master Vaan is that strict with him that it would scare him to be late getting back to him?"

Qui-Gon wondered for a moment. He knew of Vaan. A gruff type. Not the type one would try and be friendly with. He'd been surprised almost three years ago when the man had taken an apprentice. He never thought him the mentor type. But all Jedi were different. Each had their own way. And even the sternest of masters successfully raised and trained well adjusted padawans to knighthood. So he had never given it another thought. "Some pairings take some time to develop, Obi-Wan. You and I for one. Perhaps Vaan and his apprentice are still working to figure each other out. I wouldn't worry much about it. I'm sure all is fine." Inside, Qui-Gon knew those words were just words. If Obi-Wan and Taj had sensed something, there must have been a reason for it. So he added, "But if you talk to 

him again, maybe ask him if everything is all right. Perhaps he just needs a friend."

"Perhaps. But I think there is more than that. It was a strange situation. Taj and I are going to see if he's in the gardens tomorrow. May I have free time at the same time tomorrow, Master?"

"You may. But keep your boots on and don't be late. I can't have you running the halls bare-footed and hurdling trolls while I am your teacher."

"Master, I didn't hurdle Master Yoda. I just…wait, how did you know?"

"He called me about ten seconds before you came in the door. Spouting off about when he was a young padawan…don't laugh, Obi-Wan. When he was a young padawan, they didn't have free time. They spent all their days studying and meditating. I told him that I would reprimand you accordingly, hence the two hours of meditation. Don't do it again, understand?"

"Yes, Master. Master Yoda has a fast trigger finger on the comm button."

Qui-Gon smiled and motioned for Obi-Wan to go wait for him on the balcony so they could begin their meditation session.

Tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

WARNING: This story deals with the issue of physical and emotional abuse

PART 2 - Unbroken

The Living Gardens were alive with activity the next day when Obi-Wan and Taj got there. Several of the crèche masters had groups of initiates there exploring species of plants. But the gardens covered such a large area, the groups didn't interfere with the lone padawan sitting in the corner writing in his data-pad. His pen moved quickly, it was writing with a purpose. Few Jedi used the old pen/pad method anymore. Most just spoke what they wanted written, and it was automatically recorded. Still, some did enjoy the actual writing process. A lost art is what Qui-Gon often referred to it as. Taj spotted Arun first and pulled the sleeve of Obi-Wan's robe. They hurried over. As they did, Arun abruptly stopped his writing and turned off his data-pad.

"Hi Arun," Taj said, hoping their presence was welcomed. "We thought maybe you'd be here today. We wanted to ask you if you wanted to go eat with us. It's a place just outside the temple called Dex's Diner. The food is the best around."

Arun shook his head immediately and kept eye contact at a minimum. "No thank you. I usually eat lunch in my quarters."

Obi-Wan tried not to push, but he wanted to be sure. "We won't stay long. Our masters will be with us. You can invite yours along."

"NO!" he responded, a bit too quickly and aggressively than he meant to. "I mean, no. I can't. He…can't. He prefers eating away from the company of others."

The padawans were disappointed. There was obviously something wrong. But it was not their place to interfere. They could only go so far. "Okay, but if you change your mind…"

"I won't change my mind. Other than missions I'm not permitted to leave the temple. My master believes that outside influences will distract me from my studies and training."

Arun's comm link buzzed. The deep growling voice of Master Vaan sounded. "Arun, you are late. Your two hours ended five minutes ago. Your free time for the next week has been eliminated. You are to report to quarters at once."

The boy buzzed back with an obedient, "Yes, Master," then pocketed his comm link, gathered his data-pad and walked towards the door.

Obi-Wan put a hand on his arm to stop him and was surprised when Arun immediately pulled away.

"I have to go."

"Arun, my comm code is 2131. Just in case…"

"I won't change my mind, Obi-Wan. I cannot. Goodbye." And he walked away.

"Obi-Wan, we should tell someone about this." Taj said as he fiddled with his braid.

"But we don't know what's going on. It feels so strange though. The whole thing is very uncomfortable. Something isn't right. Did you see the bruises on his neck?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think…" Obi-Wan didn't even need to say the words. They both could feel the pieces beginning to slide together.

"I can't believe something like that would be allowed to happen in the temple. The council would almost certainly find out about it."

"Master Qui-Gon told me that from what he knows of Master Vaan, he was surprised that he ended up taking an apprentice. I guess he found something in Arun that changed his mind."

"Yeah, he found someone he can control with fear."

"Come on, Taj. We're jumping to conclusions. We don't know. And we can't go around accusing Jedi Masters of things like that."

"I know, but it's all coming together."

"Yeah."

They didn't see Arun again until the next week. And it wasn't in the gardens. It was in the dining hall. Again he sat in the corner. Only this time it was with Master Vaan. It appeared a stern lecture was being laid out from the way Vaan had postured himself and the way Arun was holding his head…low and in a submissive position. A few minutes more passed and Vaan strode out leaving the boy alone. The data-pad came out, and with pen in hand, Arun started his writing again.

Taj kicked Obi-Wan under the table, trying not to alert their masters.

"Master Jerra, may we be excused? There's a friend of ours over there, we want to say hi."

The tall, thin master nodded. "Sure. Run along. Qui-Gon and I have things to discuss anyway," he smiled.

The boys hurried from the table and over to where Arun sat. The pattern hadn't changed. When he saw them coming, he would stop writing and close his data-pad.

Taj sat across from him. "Hi Arun. We were worried we hadn't seen you recently. Have you been ill?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You carry your data-pad a lot. Do you keep a journal?" Obi-Wan didn't want to intrude, but engaging in friendly conversation was difficult with Arun. He was extremely inverted.

"No, I…I just write things down. It helps me concentrate and focus. My master always tells me that my focus is lacking. I was hoping this would help."

A lie. Both the other padawans felt it. Neither called him on it though. The last thing they wanted to do was push Arun away from them.

"My master keeps a journal. He says it's the only way he can keep up with all migraines that I give him," Taj attempted a bit of humor. That didn't work either. Then he saw the vivid discoloration on the back of Arun's head, under where his braid sat. "Did you hit your head in sparring practice? You've got a nasty bruise under your ear. I've done that before. Took a week for it to stop hurting."

Reaching up and gently brushing the area with his finger, Arun shrugged. "I guess I must have. I didn't know it was that bad." As he lifted his hand, his bare wrist showed. He wasn't wearing a normal under-tunic that wrapped around his wrists. There was only a loose fitting tunic there, and it showed the same discoloration that was on the back of his head.

"Is your wrist okay? Must have been a crazy day of sparring, huh?"

At that moment, Obi-Wan swore that he saw Arun's eyes glisten for the smallest of seconds. A slow blink, and there was no evidence of it.

"Yes. I'm still working on my counter-attacks. I have trouble holding off certain types of attacks. I need to go. Maybe…maybe I'll see you tomorrow." And once again, he hurried off leaving the other two boys to wonder.

"Obi-Wan we have to tell someone. He didn't get those bruises from sparring. Unless someone hit him with a saber hilt. Possible. But it didn't happen in practice."

The younger padawan sighed and dropped his chin into his hands that were elbowed on the table. "Let's tell our masters. I'll get Master Qui-Gon to invite you both to dinner in our apartment. We'll tell them what we think is going on. If we're wrong, then we're wrong, and no one else knows. If we're right, then they can back us up."

"Tonight then. We can't draw this out. Arun is in trouble. We just have to be careful about this. Make sure we don't make any mistakes. His life may depend on it."

The door chime sounded. Obi-Wan hurried to answer it. It swished open to reveal a sable-haired student and his tall, slim master. Obi-Wan welcomed them in. Master Jerra. Taj. Please come in. And I promise you that Master Qui-Gon did not cook."

"I heard that, Padawan", the voice from behind replied.

"We picked up from Dex's place."

Jerra and Taj shed their robes as they entered the apartment. The elder of the two still nursing the injured leg. He presented with a limp and walking stick, and was careful with his steps. They were invited to sit at the small dining table. The masters allowed the boys to sit next to each other. They knew something was up. What it was appeared to be the only question that needed answering. Qui-Gon wasted no time beginning the interrogation.

"Obi-Wan, explain please."

The apprentice stopped in mid motion and put his fork down, trying to look surprised by his teacher's question. "Explain what?"

"Why we are here. We never invite each other for dinner. We just meet in the dining hall. And you taking money out of your own pocket to buy for the four of us? Something is amiss. Explain."

There was some thought going on in that spiky head of his, Qui-Gon could see it. Jerra joined the fray. He sat back in his chair, arms crossed, staring at his own apprentice who at the moment was looking just as guilty as his friend.

"Taj, might you explain instead?"

"Um…"

"Boys, you got us together here for a reason. And I don't think it has anything to do with food. I also assume that it's important because it's obvious you don't want others to hear, hence the reason we are here as opposed to a more public area. Obi-Wan, the fact that you checked the hallway for others after we entered did not go unnoticed by the way." Jerra ran a hand through his shoulder length brown hair and eyed the two students."

Taj swallowed hard before starting. Nervous, his eyes began to pale, until they were ice-blue. His master knew the change. There was something eating at his learner. But he waited for the young man to begin.

"Master Jerra, Master Qui-Gon, we are…concerned about another apprentice. We met him a week or so ago but only briefly. He was watching us play in the Living Gardens. We introduced ourselves to him, but he was nervous and withdrawn. Like he was scared to talk to us. Then we saw him again the next day. That's when we noticed the bruises on his neck. He had to leave in a hurry when his master called him home."

"More like growled at him, you mean," Obi-Wan said in a hushed tone.

Jerra looked off Obi-Wan then back to his own. "Continue, Taj."

"We didn't see him for a few days then. Until the dining hall. He had more bruises. One really ugly one on the back of his head, right here." He pointed to the area under his braid. "And then on his wrist, large discolored rings that wrapped around the whole area."

Obi-Wan swallowed a bite of food then placed the fork on his plate. "We asked him about it, asked if he hurt himself in sparring practice. He sort of went along with us on that explanation. We both could feel him lying, Master. It was very obvious. He seems so different than most other padawans. His demeanor is like he's scared to do anything. He says his master will be upset if he's late. Things like that."

"This is Master Vaan's padawan. The one you asked me about, isn't it Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked with more than just curiosity.

Next to him though, Jerra seemed surprised. "Vaan has an apprentice? When did that happen? And why did it happen? He's quite the field Jedi, but a teacher he is not."

"It's been about two and a half years now. I don't know the boy. It appears though that our padawans do."

Taj decided he just come out and say it. "Obi-Wan and I think that Master Vaan is abusing Arun."

Rubbing at his beard, Qui-Gon showed no sign of surprise although he was careful with his words. "To accuse a Master Jedi of such a thing can have grave consequences for all involved. You both are aware of that, yes?"

The padawans nodded in unison.

"But I know that neither of you would be so concerned or careful about this if you did not feel there was some truth to it. You would not be so foolish. What do you want Jerra and I to do?"

"We don't know, Master. That's why we needed to talk to you. I know things like this happen in the galaxy. But I've never known it to happen here, at home. The temple is supposed to be a safe place. We didn't want to believe it, but everything keeps adding up. We've seen the bruises. We've seen how Arun acts when he's alone. We've seen how quickly he reacts when his master calls for him. It's not a normal padawan reaction. It's easy to feel the nervous energy coming from him." Obi-Wan looked at the two masters hopefully. Trying to silently motivate them to come up with an idea. A solution. "We can't just not do anything."

The elder Jedi were caught between what action to take. Take the word of their padawans and take this information to the council? Confront Vaan himself? Or allow this to play out further and attempt to see the evidence for themselves?

"Master, please. Arun needs our help. He won't ask for it, because he knows what will happen if Master Vaan finds out. But…"

Qui-Gon looked at Jerra. Both knew there was only one option at this moment. "We shall meditate on this. See if the Force can move us in one direction or the other. We cannot do anything rash, Obi-Wan. You and Taj have shown great concern for another apprentice. And I know I speak for both Jerra and myself when I say we are proud of you for that. For noticing something was wrong and for coming to us. However, we must do this correctly. We cannot falsely accuse a Jedi and we cannot allow Arun's safety to remain in jeopardy. Finish your dinners. Then we will meditate and discuss this in the morning. All right?"

The two boys looked disappointed, but they knew Qui-Gon was right. They would have to be patient.

Qui-Gon was called to the council early the next day, not giving Obi-Wan a chance to speak to him. The master left him instructions to go to the sparring gym and train with Jerra and Taj until he could meet him there. Never refusing a chance to spar with his best friend, Obi-Wan sprinted to the gym. As he hurried through the halls, he heard a bellowing voice followed by a thumping sound. Turning the corner, he caught a glimpse. Two Jedi. The smaller one was picking himself up off the floor then yelped in pain as he was grabbed by the neck and pushed violently forward. The larger Jedi let go abruptly and followed the other through a door. They disappeared from view.

For a few moments after, Obi-Wan still stood there watching the empty space where the pair had been. He didn't have to guess who they were. It was obvious. When he finally managed to shake himself out of it, he continued on to the gym. The thought of sparring with Taj didn't seem all that enjoyable any longer.

He was greeted in the gym by Master Jerra leaning on his walking stick, while he examined his own apprentice warming up with basic kata's. "Obi-Wan, you're late. Come on, now. Get ready. Taj has been waiting."

"I'm sorry, Master Jerra. Can I have a few minutes to get myself together?"

"Certainly." He felt intense sadness in the boy. "Is everything all right, Obi-Wan?"

Taj approached as Obi-Wan began to explain what he'd seen. "I was coming here, then I heard yelling in the far corridor. When I went to see what was going on, I saw Arun getting up off the floor. His master grabbed him by the neck and started pushing him around. Master Jerra, we have to tell the council. He was really hurt this time. He was limping when I watched them leave the hall. I don't understand why the council hasn't felt something wrong."

"If a recall correctly, Vaan is from Hallath. His type excel at hiding their feelings and emotions. Are you sure it was them, Obi-Wan? You need to be absolutely certain."

"Yes, Master Jerra. I am."

Even though he wasn't bonded with Obi-Wan, the tall, wiry master could feel

that he was hiding nothing. What he did feel was the intense anxiety surrounding him in the Force. The boy would not have come to him with this if it wasn't much more serious this time. He put a hand on the shoulders of both learners and escorted them from the gym. "Come on."

Jerra requested counsel with Master Yoda. As they waited, Qui-Gon exited the council chambers, surprised to see the three of them there.

"Obi-Wan, what's going on?"

Obi-Wan quietly replayed what he had seen and without hesitation, Qui-Gon agreed on Jerra's course of action. They could not wait for this to play out. A boy's life depended on their interference.

Yoda met with them in his private chambers. All four Jedi knelt before the ancient master.

"Concerns you have, Master Jerra. Asked for me, yes?"

Jerra bowed his head briefly. "Our padawans have come to us with a disconcerting issue. They believe that one of their fellow students has become a victim of abuse by his master."

The small green troll blinked his large eyes. "Proof they have of this?"

"Just what they have seen and witnessed, my master. Most recently by Obi-Wan this morning."

Obi-Wan described what he had seen and heard in the corridor, and then told the details about the previous encounters they'd had with Arun. Yoda wavered between watching him intently and closing his eyes to look into the Force.

"Master Vaan hides himself well within the Force. Difficult to feel. Padawan Na'dav, shielded strongly he too is. Not all of his own doing. Feel his master's influence in his mind I can. Erected his own shields to block the boy from others, I sense. Unusual this is."

"What will the council do, Master?" Qui-Gon knew the council's ways. He knew there would be no quick action. Yoda would bring this before the rest of the group, discussion would follow, and then perhaps action would result. But that would take time. If he believed the feelings of the two padawans, there was immediate danger.

"Discuss this we must. Contact you tomorrow I will."

"Master, the boy is in danger. You must act quickly."

"Correct action we must take. Quick judgments will not be made. Reputations of a master and padawan, at stake they are. Tomorrow." An emphatic thump of his gimmer stick announced the end to the conversation.

Obi-Wan made motion to move forward and address Yoda more forcefully, but Qui-Gon's hand on his arm prevented it. It would be useless to irritate the situation. The four Jedi bowed their heads, stood and left.

Yoda turned toward the window to watch the Coruscant skyline. He closed his eyes tightly, looking deeply into the Force.

Arun sat at his desk. His small bedroom held few personal items. A couple small trinkets from the few missions he had been on was about all there was. His most treasured possession was his data-pad. His right hand moved determinedly as his imagination took off again. This time it took him to a beautiful water-world. He was with several other Jedi, including the man he'd written as his master. They worked together to help sick children and those left for dead by a recent illness that devastated a floating city. They nursed many back to health. They eased the final suffering of others. Their work was meaningful, despite the heartbreak. When the scenes became too much, his master would pull him aside and put a hand on his shoulder, comforting him and pulling him close. They shared such a deep bond that sometimes just that simple contact was enough to ease all his fears. His master loved him and cared for him. He…a booming voice sounded on the other side of his bedroom door, breaking him from his writing. Arun quickly saved his story and hid the data-pad. He tried to make it appear as if he was studying when Vaan barged in.

"Have you studied those texts I sent to you?"

A quick nod. "Yes, Master."

"Do you lie to your master?"

"No, Master. I did study them. I'm still working on the last one though."

"You should have finished by now. Why have you not?"

"I…I was having trouble with a couple of them. They were difficult to understand. I had to research additional information and then go back over them. I understand them now."

"But you are not finished."

The huge man stood over the boy, arms crossed and teeth bared. Arun could feel the hot air from Vaan's elongated nose with each exhale. The boy had no response, knowing that any he offered would not be good enough.

"Come with me. Now."

"But, Master. I'm trying. I just didn't understand. I will study all night if I have to. Please."

There was no additional warning. Vaan did not take to his apprentice pleading and begging when he should have had these studies completed. He was tired of the boy's incompetence. He grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, catching a hold of his braid as he did so. Pain shot through Arun's ear as the braid pulled at his scalp. Once out of the bedroom, Vaan put his hand under the small chin, lifted the apprentice and threw him into the wall. Before Arun could recover, the man was closing in on him again.

Arun closed his eyes and sought his escape. The fictitious world he'd created came to his mind. He focused on the friendship and love that he knew was there as he tried to forget the blows that he was being assaulted with.

Tbc…

10


	3. Chapter 3

Unbroken - Part 3 

A sick feeling awoke Obi-Wan before the sun rose. Something was wrong. Shaking off the sleep, he hurried to his master's bedroom. Qui-Gon seemed fine, he was resting peacefully. But there was something he felt in the pit of his stomach as he heard a beeping sound. It was his comm link. He'd placed it on his nightstand while he slept, just in case… He answered it.

"This is Obi-Wan."

The voice on the other end was small, shaky and hushed. It was filled with fear and pain. Arun.

"Obi-Wan. Can you help me please?"

"Arun? What's wrong? Where are you?"

"I…hurt myself. I'm in the gardens. Can you come?"

"I'm on my way."

He punched in Taj's comm number. As early as it was, Taj was also awake. A similar sick feeling had awakened him. They would meet in the gardens to look for their friend.

The gardens were dimly lit this time of morning, but Arun was easy to find as he huddled in his favorite corner. Again, data-pad was in hand, but the hand doing the writing was trembling violently. Obi-Wan and Taj knelt down and saw him flinch. Immediately, even in the low light, they could see the dark bruising and blood trails on Arun's neck and under his hair. Taj reached out and pulled the sleeve of his sleep tunic back to reveal bruising covering his forearm.

Arun pulled his arm away and wiped at his eyes. His unsteady hand continued writing.

"Arun, what happened to you?" Taj already knew, but he didn't want to say it out loud.

"I hurt myself. It's all right. I just need help getting home." He kept writing.

"You can't go home right now, Arun. You need to see a healer. We'll take you."

The writing stopped. "No, I can't go. I'll be okay. I just need some help walking home. My legs hurt."

The padawans looked down, just now realizing that Arun wore no boots or socks. His feet were bare under his sleep pants. There were deep scratch marks coming down his ankles from under the pants leg. Some dried with blood.

"No, Arun. You aren't going home. Not ever again if we can help it. We know you didn't hurt yourself. We have to see Healer Terran. He'll help you."

The boy protested again, but the effort was a weak one. Giving in, he finally allowed accepted their help. He staggered on unsteady legs. Obi-Wan tried to take the data-pad from him so he could concentrate on his balance. Arun held a death grip on the small device. "Please don't take it, Obi-Wan. I need my data-pad. It's very important to me. Please."

"I was only going to help you carry it, Arun. I won't take it from you. I promise." Obi-Wan couldn't pretend to know what was so important about the pad, but Arun seemed more worried about losing that than about his own physical condition. "Where is Master Vaan right now?"

"He left last night. Said he was going to the lower levels of the city. He'll be home soon though. I know. I need to get home before he gets there. He'll be upset with me if I am not there. I need to go home."

"You're not going home, Arun. You need help."

In no condition to resist, his fellow padawans moved him towards the temple hospital. Each step he took was difficult. Taj tried to put an arm around his back, but Arun winced in pain. It didn't take much imagination to figure out why. His sleep clothes only hid the bruising that probably covered his body.

It took them a good twenty minutes, but they made it to the hospital without attracting any early morning attention. Obi-Wan asked the padawan at the front desk to call Healer Terran as quickly as he could. The young furry creature took one look at the bruises, cuts and blood on Arun's face and neck, and paged Terran immediately. Then he escorted the three Jedi to an exam room.

They sat Arun in a chair to wait. The dark-green eyes were filled, but no tears fell. Now that they were in a well-lit room, the wounds covering the boy's lightly-greened skin were disturbing. It was much worse than Taj and Obi-Wan had thought. But they were in a safe place now.

Obi-Wan stepped out of the room briefly to contact Master Qui-Gon and Master Jerra to tell them what had happened. In the meantime, Master Healer Terran Va'lor had arrived. His thick gray hair was uncombed and he was only half dressed, but the urgency of the call he'd received from the desk padawan forced appearance to be put aside. His blue eyes fell as soon as he saw the patient that awaited him. No guessing was needed. No questions as to what had taken place. He'd seen this before. But never had he seen it in the Jedi Temple. And that sickened him.

He wasn't familiar with Arun. Had never met or even seen him before, so he motioned for Obi-Wan to explain.

"Master Terran, this is Arun Na'dav. Padawan of Salah Vaan."

Terran knew a little about Vaan. Enough to make a quick reply, "Not anymore he's not." Arun pulled away when the healer reached for his arm. "Arun, it's all right. I just need to look. Can you let Obi-Wan hold your data-pad for a minute?"

Reaching out, Obi-Wan gently said, "I will keep it right next to you, Arun. I promise. Terran needs to look at your wounds to see if any of them need immediate attention. He treats Taj and I all the time. He won't hurt you. And we'll stay right here with you, okay?" He tried to offer some type of comfort. But he really didn't know what was going through the abused student's mind. He could feel the fear, but he could never truly feel it as Arun did.

A few moments passed. Terran was a patient man. He was in no hurry to push the boy, so he allowed him all the time he needed to finally release his data-pad to Obi-Wan. "That's great, Arun. You're doing fine. I need to remove your tunic. Can you lift your arms for me?"

The action was difficult and painful, but the tunic came off. There were areas of dried blood between the cloth and the skin, which caused the tunic to stick in some areas to the boy's skin. Arun cringed but did not cry out from the pain. It was a part of his life that he'd grown used to. Crying out or complaining about the pain, would only lead to more of the same.

Both Taj and Obi-Wan had to look away when the tunic was finally off. About seventy-five percent of the skin was bruised or cut. Most of it more than just simple contusions. How Arun was not reacting to the pain, they couldn't understand. They'd suffered much less in their first years as Jedi, and both had memories of intense pain with lesser wounding. They'd never seen anything like this.

A sound at the door got Obi-Wan's attention. Qui-Gon and Jerra. Neither entered the room, but they could see the evidence in front of them. Jerra turned to his friend. "I will call Yoda. No need for them to discuss this today. I think this speaks louder than any of their discussions ever will."

Qui-Gon nodded his agreement. "He needs to see this. And tell him that a security team needs to be sent after Vaan as soon as possible."

As Terran slowly moved forward with his exam of Arun, he noticed the boy flinching less with each touch. A positive sign. At least he wasn't to the point where he would not allow anyone to touch him. He was however concerned at the lack of emotion that the young man was displaying. Although it was normal in an abuse victim to learn how to contain emotions and not react, the fact that Arun was almost expressionless was worrisome. Every few minutes, he caught him glancing over at his data-pad, still secure in Obi-Wan's hands. A security blanket of some sort, he thought. And it wasn't long after that Arun asked to have it back. Terran almost asked him to wait until the exam was over, but decided against it as Obi-Wan placed it into desperate hands. A feeling of great relief came through as the data-pad returned to his grip. He hugged it to his bare chest, and only then did an emotion show itself as a single tear slid down his face.

Yoda hobbled in. He looked up at Arun and closed his eyes. He then turned and walked from the room requesting Qui-Gon and Jerra to follow. They stopped in the waiting room.

"Dispatched at once, a security team will be. Master Vaan, in custody he will remain until question him we do and punishment can be addressed. Sorry I am that this came so far. Padawan Arun, I will see tomorrow. Many questions today, he does not need. Require the council will that your apprentices testify to what they saw and heard."

"We understand, Master." Qui-Gon said. "I know neither of them will hesitate to cooperate with the council on this. I am quite certain of that."

With that, the troll limped out the door. Jerra sat his long, slim body heavily on the couch and dropped his head into his hands. "Sith hells, Qui-Gon. What type of sickness has to run through a person to bring himself to do something like this to a child under his own care?"

Qui-Gon sat next to his friend and leaned back and stretched out his long frame. "Even scarier is that Arun doesn't react. Perhaps it's because it's been all he's known since becoming an apprentice. He's…used to it. I wonder what happens to him now, once he's physically able to return to his training."

"A new master, I suppose. But how a boy can ever trust anyone again after his own teacher abuses him so horribly, I have no idea. He's a much stronger Jedi than I if he can do so."

"He seems to have some trust for Obi-Wan and Taj. Perhaps that can be built on until a new teacher can be found for him."

Almost in unison they inhaled deeply and released their emotions into the Force. Unsettled thoughts refused to fade the image of the bruised and battered young boy in the next room.

It didn't take much longer for Terran to complete Arun's physical exam. The most serious of the injuries were several severely bruised ribs and several open and infected cuts. Under the skin and all over his body, contusions ran deep, but would all heal in time. The only other spot of concern was the swelled dark purple area under his right ear, near his braid. There was evidence of previous trauma to that same area and the healer made an educated guess that a concussion had probably been the result each time. Concussions that had probably not been treated at they should have been.

Arun was moved into a regular room. Terran wanted to keep him for a few days. Not only did he want to keep an eye on the physical injuries, but there were also emotional and psychological issues to deal with. And of course the Jedi who had battered him like this was still not in the hands of security. Keeping Arun in the hospital provided a form of protection. The last issue would be a matter of a home. Certainly he could not return to his quarters even once his master was in custody. One so young and having experienced so much trauma, could not be left to live alone for any length of time. An interim teacher would need to be had.

He'd worry about that later. He could keep him here indefinitely he thought as he watched the apprentice try and find a comfortable spot in the bed. Taj had run back to his apartment and returned with a very large, and very soft blanket for his friend and offered it to him. Terran watched he and Obi-Wan being very deliberate and very careful around Arun. They didn't touch if it could be helped. Their movements were soft and quiet. They did everything they could to keep his trust and to give him something to hold onto while his world fell apart.

Then there was the data-pad. Such a small simple device, but Arun never let it out of his sight. He barely let it leave his grasp. Terran figured it was a journal of some sort. Had he learned how to release his thoughts and feelings by writing? Had he developed his own way of dealing with the abuse? The healer didn't know. And if the writing in his data-pad seemed to calm him and help him get by, there was no reason to remove it from him. It might be the only thing holding him together at this point.

He moved towards the bed. "Arun, I want you to rest now. Your friends can return later. Your wounds need to begin the healing process. Rest will help that."

Arun nodded, then said quietly, "When will I go home? Master Vaan should know where I am. He'll get angry if he doesn't know. I should contact him."

Terran shook his head sadly. Fear of his master was so embedded in his psychological being that he couldn't completely understand that he would not be returning to Vaan. The man would never again be allowed near him. His days of being abused by another were over. It would take time for Arun to come to terms with that. "You're not going home, Arun. Remember? We talked about that before," the healer said gently. "For right now, you live here. I will arrange for your personal belongings to be brought here. It's unlikely that you'll ever set foot in your old quarters again. You no longer answer to Master Vaan. He can't hurt you anymore."

Terran looked for some sign that Arun was really grasping all of this. But it only seemed to confuse him.

"But what if I'm late again getting home? He won't like that. Master Terran, I need to go home now. Please. I can't be late. I told him that I wouldn't be late anymore."

He started to get out of bed, but the aches throughout his body prevented any quick movements. Obi-Wan stepped in to push him carefully back into the bed as Terran grabbed a hypospray. Turning back, he figured on a slightly different approach. "Arun, it's all right. I will make sure he knows that you'll be late. I will have Master Yoda speak to him, okay? Master Yoda will get him to understand why you are running late."

That seemed to satisfy the almost panicked fear that had fallen over the boy. He accepted it and settled back onto the bed. Taj pulled the blanket over him as Terran softly pressed the hypospray into his arm. "This will help you sleep. I'll see you soon, all right?"

A nod, then the rich green eyes turned to Obi-Wan and Taj as the hypo began to work. He laid his data-pad at his bedside. "Obi-Wan, please make sure no one takes this. Please."

Reaching down to pat his friends arm, Obi-Wan said "I promise, Arun. I will make sure it doesn't leave this room. I know it's important to you. It's all right. You can sleep now. We'll visit later."

No response came after that. The hypo had worked easily with no resistance. The healer breathed a sigh of relief.

"Terran, " Taj began, "Why does he still want to go back to Master Vaan? I don't understand. He should never want to be near him again."

"It's something an abuser implants into his victim. A fear so great that even when they are finally away from their abuser, their mind tells them they need to go back, or they'll be punished again. And with Arun, it appears it's all he's known in the time he's been with Vaan. He knows nothing different. This is what he's used to, as violent as it has been. Part of him probably feels that this is Vaan's way of showing him that he cares about him. I know that sounds backwards, but you can't understand completely because you've not lived what he has lived."

He stopped to think for a minute, as he realized how valuable these two might be

to Arun's recovery. One as introverted as Arun was because of his home situation, there were some positive signs that he trusted Taj and Obi-Wan. "Boys, I need your help. Arun trusts you about as much as he can trust anyone right now. Do this for me. Go home. Research information about abuse victims. I want you to learn about this. See how it affects victims in the short term and long term. Try and see this through the eyes of the victim. I'm sure Arun has been forced to live

a very a sheltered life these two and a half years under Vaan. I get the feeling that he has no real friends. Except that data-pad of his. You may have saved his life by befriending him when you did, when you felt something was not quite right. In the short time you've known him you've given him no reason to distrust you. He needs that. He needs people to latch onto. I will be assigning one of our emotional trauma healers to him in the next couple days. You'll work with them to offer support when it's needed. In fact, I will put in a request to the council to keep you on-planet for a time. If Arun trusts you like I think he does, the last thing we need to happen is for one or both of you to be called away on a mission right now. But I need you to learn about this. Study about it. If your masters have any concerns about what I'm having you do, I will speak to them. Yes?"

They both agreed readily. "We would like to help however we can, Terran."

"Good, good. He'll sleep for a while. Go ahead home and do what you need to do. I don't want to completely steal you away from your training and studies. But when you come back this afternoon, at least have looked into this some. Now, off with the both of you." They turned to leave, when the healer stopped them momentarily. "Oh and boys…thank you for helping him. You were the only ones who took the time to see what was happening and then step in to try and prevent it. You did well. Thank you."

Smiling, they each gave a slight bow and then hurried for home.

Arun slept longer than Terran thought he would. But then severe physical trauma mixed with emotional trauma was an easy a recipe for exhaustion. Sleeping through the afternoon and evening, he didn't wake until deep into the middle of the night. Several moments passed before he remembered where he was. The soft glow of the warming light provided just enough illumination to see the outline of the room. Feeling something lying on his chest, he patted it. His data-pad. He last remembered giving it to Obi-Wan who had promised that it wouldn't leave the room. The promise hadn't been broken and the barest hint of a smile crossed Arun's lips. He picked up the pad, removed the writing pen from where it was locked onto the side and flicked on the lighted screen.

It wasn't long before he'd lost himself in his world of fiction again. This time, he and his master had helped to capture and imprison the leader of a planet. A leader who had spent his reign terrorizing and abusing its young and weak. Along the way, he and his master had suffered great emotional distress, but they always had each other to lean on and did so often until the mission was complete and they were sent home.

Arun kept writing, eventually losing track of time all together. Time held no meaning for him when he wrote. It was his escape. His way of dealing with his own trauma. It had helped him accept his life as it was, while always hoping for something better.

A voice startled him in the doorway. Terran. The boy's shoulders relaxed when he saw the kind, aged face of the healer.

"I didn't expect you'd be awake at this time of night. Everything all right?" With a slight touch to the wall switch, he brought the room lights up so he could see his patient better.

"Yes sir. I was just…writing. I woke up and had trouble remembering where I was."

"So you reached for something familiar and safe." The healer sat on the edge of the bed as Arun nodded in response. "You enjoy writing."

"Very much."

"What do you write?" Terran wouldn't force him to answer the question, but he offered it as an invitation for the young apprentice to talk. "Do you keep a journal?"

Arun just shrugged. He wasn't ready to start baring his innermost secrets to anyone, even if they were trying to help him. His writing was his. The only thing that truly was his own. It was the only thing that Master Vaan could never take away from him.

Terran patted his arm. "I understand. You don't have to tell me. Whatever it is, I can see it's very important to you. Do you need anything?"

A shy look, then Arun whispered, "I need to use the bathroom, but my legs are still a little wobbly."

"I can help you with that. It's something I've had to help many a Jedi with in my years. Padawans. Masters. Other healers. Even a council member or two." He smiled as the boy's eyes widened in surprise at that last one. "No, it wasn't Master Yoda." Arun gave a small chuckle under his breath, then moved his legs over the side of the bed. Terran carefully helped him move in and then out of the bathroom, then back into bed.

"My legs really hurt, but it feels good to move them."

"We'll get you up tomorrow and moving around more. You'll heal faster if you do move the bruised muscles, and keep good blood circulation there. Anything else?"

"I'm okay now. Thank you for helping me. Do you know…if they found my master?"

Terran's heart ached each time Arun continued to refer to Vaan as his master. No matter how badly Vaan had treated him, there was still some connection there. A familiarity. Vaan had been the only person in his life since he'd become an apprentice. He could feel the loneliness radiating around the young man. "I'm not certain. I will check in the morning and let you know."

"Okay."

The healer smiled, dimmed the lights, and walked towards the door. The small voice asked for his attention before he disappeared.

"Master Terran?"

"Yes, Arun."

"I write stories. Fiction stories about the Jedi. About me. And about my master, who loves me and cares for me. And comforts me. We help others who have been hurt. And we help each other. My stories help me. They don't judge me. They don't yell at me. They don't…hurt me." One small tear glistened down the boy's face, but his voice didn't waver. "You've been very nice to me. I wanted you do know why my data-pad is so important. It's been my escape…my safety."

In all his years of treating patients, few confessions had hit the healer like that one did. He didn't trust his voice to respond and he didn't know if the boy could see the water forming in his own eyes, but he smiled sadly. Finally he found his voice. "You're safe now, Arun. I promise you. You will never be hurt like that again. Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

And he left the room.

Tbc…

9


	4. Chapter 4

Unbroken - Part 4

Mid-day the following day and news came that Master Vaan had been located and taken into custody by a security team. Arun's face held no expression when Obi-Wan and Taj told him. Inside, his feelings confused him. There was immence relief that Master Vaan had been found, but fear that the man would find a way to hurt him again. A small part of him also felt badly that all of this had happened. Arun began to feel a tinge of guilt building. More than likely Master Vaan would spend the rest of his life in confinement. Never again to feel freedom. And all because of his apprentice. The council would eventually ask for him to come before them and testify about what Vaan had done. Those words would determine the punishment that the man would receive. The boy knew what he would tell the council, about the fear he suffered on a daily basis and the pain that came with it. He could not allow the man to wound another the way he had been wounded. But the almost paralyzing fear and suffering he'd been a victim of for so long didn't make it any easier when the fate another lay in the balance.

Arun frowned at his data-pad, afraid to meet the eyes of the other two padawans. He'd not told his new friends about his writing. Only Terran knew. Taj and Obi-Wan figured it was just a journal and hadn't pressed him about it, of which Arun was extremely grateful. He was having enough trouble dealing with his conflicted emotions. The last thing he needed was an intrusion into such a private area.

The feelings surrounding the three of them were filled with tension. Obi-Wan decided he would try and break the mood. "We're going to get something to eat at Dex's Diner. Did you want us to bring something back for you? He makes a sweet pala cake that will make you forget any other food you've ever eaten." Smiling, he hoped to get his friend to open up a little.

"Maybe next time. I just…I'd like to be alone for a while, Obi-Wan. You don't mind do you?"

Arun then misread the awkward expressions on their faces as anger. His breathing increased and he tried to fend off the rising panic. "Please don't be angry with me. I'm sorry. It's just…"

The sudden anxiety confused the two learners, but they maintained a calmness. Terran's instruction advising them to learn more about victims of abuse was already paying off. Each of them remembered what they had read about abuse victims and how, even with friends, they would apologize and worry about those friends lashing out at them if they were rejected.

Taj's dark eyes flickered with blue as he stepped closer to the bed. "We're not angry, Arun. Not at all. And we don't want to crowd you. We'll go. But you call us if you need anything, okay?"

A shaky hand reached out to them. Then three hands held hard to each other. Arun replied softly. "I will. Thank you. I've never had friends like you before. It's hard for me to know how this works."

"How what works? Obi-Wan asked.

"Real friendship. A relationship where both sides care about each other. I've never felt that."

Obi-Wan patted his hand. "Just let it go where it's destined to go. Don't worry about how it works. We do care about you, Arun, even though we haven't known you for long. Friendships can come from anywhere. I'm glad we've become friends."

"Me too."

"We'll go now. Get some rest. We'll see you later."

Over the next few days, Arun had worked his way back to walking unassisted. The unsteadiness that had resulted from the intense trauma to his legs, was all but gone. It felt good to be out of bed. Terran had put him in a new room. One that was more like a small apartment. It offered his own bathroom and even a small cooling unit for snacks. The council had not decided on an interim master for the boy. Terran had advised them not to. There were still many difficulties, including the emotional and psychological scars that hadn't even been dealt with yet. The council conceded to the medical expert and for now left him in charge of apprentice.

A three man security detail had been given access to the Vaan quarters. They took holos of the apartment and gathered samples of blood from the carpet. Yoda had sent in Qui-Gon to collect Arun's few personal belongings which included his light saber. The Jedi held the saber in his hands, examining it. There were specks of dried blood on the hilt and embedded in the metal creases. It made Qui-Gon almost physically sick to think that the boy's own lightsaber had been used as a tool to abuse him. The hilt was beautifully made. He could see the care and gentleness that had gone into welding it. Then he looked deeper, and could see several strands of light colored hair also embedded into the metal. Qui-Gon didn't even want to think about the saber being slammed against the padawans head so hard that it pulled blood and hairs away with it. He offered it to the security team as evidence.

Arun accepted his belongings from the big master. Terran was wary about Qui-Gon visiting the boy, and gave him orders to be extremely careful around him. Being a large man, Qui-Gon could be an intimidating presence to some. And although it was good for Arun to understand that he was safe, that didn't prevent feelings of anxiety from pulsing through him in the presence of such a man. An imposing figure of authority was a threat to the mind of a victim, even if he wasn't truly a threat.

"Excuse me, Master Qui-Gon?" The voice was tentative. Nervous.

Qui-Gon seated himself in a chair several feet from the bed, conscious of his potentially intimidating presence. It wasn't difficult to sense the apprehension in the young man before him. "Yes, Arun?"

"Did you find my light saber? I don't see it here. I would like to have it back if it's okay."

"The security team has it right now, Arun. It will be used as evidence. Once that is complete and it is cleaned, you are welcome to have it back if you wish."

"Okay. Thank you." His heart raced faster with every word and every moment that Qui-Gon remained in the room.

"You do have the option of making a new one. Perhaps one that won't have so many memories attached to it." Qui-Gon remained careful.

Arun thought about it as he worked to calm his breathing that had escalated in the anxiety that came with Qui-Gon's continued presence. "I…I didn't know I could do that. I think I might like to. But I need help with some of it. Do you think Obi-Wan and Taj might help me?"

"I think they would be honored to help you. When you are ready, you just let them know."

A few more words were spoken and Qui-Gon left the room. Arun breathed out a deep breath. He knew the man hadn't come to hurt him and was being very kind, but that hadn't helped lessen his fear. The thought of being able to create a new light saber had brought a small spark though. Even though he'd told Qui-Gon that he wanted his old one back, that had been more an automatic reply than anything. A reply he figured the master Jedi would want to hear. In reality, he never wanted to see the thing again as long as he lived. He had enough images of it in his mind already. Painful memories of when he had let his master down and the resulting punishment.

After Qui-Gon had gone, Arun got out of bed and walked over to the small desk that Terran had brought in for him. With great care and tenderness, he reached into the small bag of his personal trinkets and removed each one. Each was given it's very own place on the desk. A small tribal wood carving given to him by a child on Tarkus IV. A chilled ebony stone that he'd found on Shamerin. No matter the temperature, the small rock always remained cold. There was also a worn and tattered paper book. It had been given to Master Vaan as a gift from the president of Zebrus on their very first mission together. Although his master had accepted the book gracefully enough, it had been casually tossed aside once they'd arrived home. Arun had picked it up and told Vaan that he would look after it for him. The big man growled and shrugged as he walked away. Arun remembered seeing the cover. It was all about a wizard and his apprentice and how they fought together to save people from fire-breathing creatures called dragons. Since that time he'd first picked the book off the floor, the boy had read it a dozen times. Enthralled with each and every reading. He often dreamed that he was that apprentice.

The last item he put on the desk was a holo of his master. He flipped it on and stared at it. The gruff Jedi looked as he always did. Angry. Displeased. Terrifying. Why he felt a need to keep this holo, Arun didn't know. There was still a part of him that was dedicated to the man. He was his master. He'd sworn to obey him and be trained by him until knighted. To Arun, loyalty and dedication were not to be taken lightly. Although that hadn't done much to help him understand why he still had an attachment to Vaan. After taking so many beatings. So many harsh words. There should be no attachment. But there was, and it presented mixed feelings that served only to confuse him. He wanted to hate Master Vaan, but he couldn't bring himself to give in that one emotion that the Jedi so strongly resisted.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by a soft feminine voice in the doorway to his room. "Hi there, Arun. May I come in?"

Scanning the room protectively, Arun made sure that his data-pad was safely tucked away. Habit. Vaan had never known of the data-pad, and if he had known, he would have taken it away and let it burn at the hands of his saber. So, it was a gut reaction for the apprentice to make sure it was safe. "Hi. Who are you?"

"My name is Risha Yarr." She was a young woman of average build. Early thirties in standard years. Her face was soft with expression and well tanned. Her hair was fell past her shoulders and was a shining silvery-gray color. It matched her eyes almost perfectly. Only her hair and eyes made any type of statement. The voice she spoke with was lightly accented and gentle. There was no threat in her movements, her voice or her appearance. The Force around her was calm. Relaxing.

"Terran told me you were here. I thought I would stop in and introduce myself. Would you mind a visitor?"

"I don't mind." Arun said from where he stood near his desk. "But why are you here to see me?"

"I'd like to talk to you if I could."

"Are you a healer?"

"I am. Not a medical one though. The sight of blood has never been my thing. And I have this strange fear of cutting someone open in order to piece them back together. Truth be told, it makes me sick to my stomach. And…it makes me vomit. But that's another story for another day. And more information than you probably needed or wanted to know." She smiled. Smiled in a way that a sister would to a younger brother if they were sharing a joke.

The smile was returned. He already liked her. "I wouldn't like that either. What kind of healer are you?"

"One who specializes more in emotional issues than physical ones. Emotional trauma."

Arun felt himself shrink and step back. She was here to get into his head. To make him talk about things he didn't want to talk about. To force him to hate Master Vaan for what he had done. He wasn't ready for that. "I…I'm okay. I really don't want to talk to anyone about this."

Risha moved forward and sat in the chair nearest the door, doing her best to be as non-threatening as possible. Arun's reaction was not at all unexpected. Actually, if he hadn't reacted in that way, she would have been more concerned. "We don't have to talk about anything that you don't want to talk about. But would you mind some company? Maybe you can tell me something about you. The council will eventually want to assign you a new master. I can help them find one for you. One that best fits you."

There was still no threat that Arun sensed. There was no pressure. No direct order. He climbed onto his bed and sat with his legs crossed and back leaning against two pillows. "I want to help people. I want to help them not be scared anymore. That's what Jedi are supposed to do. Help. Right?"

"Yes. How well are your studies coming along? Saber training? Don't even ask about my saber skills. They're just…well…we won't talk about that."

He smiled sadly and bowed his head. "Master Vaan says I'm not very good with a light saber. He says that my defenses are not perfect and that I would be a liability in a real fight. He even pushed me aside and yelled at…instructed me…to get on the ship while he was fighting droids. He said I was impeding his ability to make short work of them and that I was only in the way."

"Bu you felt differently?" Without much effort or pressure, Risha was already succeeding in her mission to this room. Arun outwardly said he didn't want to talk. But with just a couple basic questions, he was doing just that, showing her that he only needed the right outlet.

"I've watched other padawans in my age group spar. I know I am doing as well as they are. None of them have ever been perfect. They are still learning, as I am. I don't know why he was always so disappointed in my sparring. I tried very hard to please him. I would go through the same exercise for hours and hours. But it was never good enough. I knew I was doing my best. Trying as hard as I could."

"I think you do try hard, Arun." She coaxed him gently, having so far gotten much more out of him than expected. The boy was full of confusing emotions. Emotions he'd kept hidden for a very long time. She continued, while watching for any sign that Arun was starting to pull away. When he didn't, she continued. "Did you ever have a sparring session when he was happy with your performance?"

Arun just shook his head and played with his fingers, then said, "No. But he didn't hit me after every session. Only the ones when he was really upset with me."

"What did he hit you with?"

"My saber hilt mostly. In my bedroom." Arun began realizing what he was saying. They were things he hadn't meant to talk about to anyone. He didn't know how she had gotten him to do so that quickly. But never once did he feel pressured by Risha Yarr. He was speaking of his own accord. Responding to questions asked, as he was expected to do as an apprentice. She was just so easy to trust. Everything about her said that she was here to help him. To comfort him. To care about him. She wasn't here to see him as just another patient. He could feel that she actually cared about what he said and what he was going through. So he opened up even more.

"He would use the Force to levitate my saber."

A posturing, Risha thought. Something to show the boy the control and power that Vaan had over the Force and his own apprentice.

"Then he would use the Force to throw it towards me. It would slam against my head over and over, until I would scream enough for him to stop. Then he would drop it and leave my room. The next morning he would act as if nothing had happened."

The young healer pulled her chair closer to the bed. She was amazed at the blank expression on Arun's face. Almost as if he felt nothing. The Force told her differently though. Inside he was essentially a wreck. Yet she should sense nothing hateful towards Vaan, which did surprise her, as her own feelings towards Salah Vaan began to elevate towards hate. Only her Jedi training kept her from bringing those feelings out. One of the first things she'd learned as a trauma healer, was to never allow her own feelings to influence those of the victim. But she asked the question anyway. "Do you hate Master Vaan, Arun?"

Having recently battled this within his own mind, Arun already knew his answer. "No, I don't. I want to. But I can't. I don't know why. I guess that's silly, isn't it?"

"No, that's not silly. What do you feel towards him?"

He took a deep breath then turned his dark-green eyes to her silvery-grays. "I feel sorry for him. I don't know why he's so angry. I don't know what he went through in his lifetime to make him like that. I feel bad for him, that he could never enjoy his life as a Jedi. That he could never feel pride at being able to help those in need. Sometimes I feel that I let him down because I wasn't able to find that same level. Maybe if I could have, I would have understood him better and been the apprentice that he wanted me to be."

Blame was difficult to address. It was hard to tell a victim that something like this wasn't their fault when someone had continually pounded the opposite into their heads. Taking blame was another natural reaction for the victim. Always thinking they could have done more and that maybe, if they had, things would have been different.

"You have a good heart, Arun. Your will is very strong to resist the temptation to hate after what has happened. You will make a wonderful apprentice to a master, once we find the right one for you."

"Are you a master?"

"No. Not sure that I want to be really. It's a lot of responsibility to raise and train an apprentice."

"Do you think I'll have a new master soon?"

"I hope so. But for now, we'll just concentrate on getting you healthy. I hear that you have a couple of friends who have been helping you."

Arun's face brightened at the mention of Taj and Obi-Wan. "Yes. I like them. They care about me."

Sadness crossed Risha's lightly browned face as she read him so easily. "That's all you've ever really wanted, isn't it? Just someone to care about you."

Emotion slammed home and Arun's face showed every painful detail of it. His eyes blinked rapidly, but it was of little use. He could only nod in response as tears slid over his cheeks. With the sleeve of his tunic he wiped them away and took numerous deep breaths to steady himself.

"Do you want me to go now, Arun?"

Another nod. Risha stood. She knew this road would be a tough one, but she could see the real Arun buried under the trepidation and uncertainty. He would indeed make a fine Jedi given they found the right person to train him.

Before she left he found his voice and whispered, "Will you come back tomorrow?"

"I most certainly will. We can take a walk. Get you fitted with a new set of tunics and everything. You know how us gals like to collect new clothes."

"I'd like that, Ms. Risha."

"Just call me Risha, Arun. No title. No nothing. I'm very not into that anyway. It makes me feel old. Get some rest, kid. I'll see you tomorrow." Her entire face warmed into a gentle smile.

Risha returned as promised that next day and then again and again. Things were going as well as could be expected. She was spending a minimum of two hours a day with Arun, and allowing him to lead into whatever areas he wished to talk about. Sometimes they avoided the subject of Vaan and the abuse all together. Other times, that was all he spoke of.

The previous session they had talked about the day that Arun had been accepted as an apprentice by Vaan.

"I was so excited," Arun had said. "I was the first from my initiate class to get selected. I knew I wouldn't miss my class very much. I didn't have any close friends there. Most of the others were very outgoing and loved to show off new moves they had learned. It was all in fun, but I just watched and my classmates never made an effort to get to know me for me. I tried to fit in, but I've always had trouble making friends. I guess I don't have much in common with most my age. I keep to myself a lot."

"But when you got selected as an apprentice, it made you feel good?"

"Yes, it did. I knew this was my chance to become my own person. Bond with my master. Learn everything he could teach me. I finally would have someone who would care about me. I was so determined to not let Master Vaan down."

"Did you? Let him down?"

"Yes. Many times. After my excitement wore off, I began to see what type of teacher he was. He didn't like anything less than perfect. And I knew I wasn't perfect. He began telling me after each training session and each practice what I did wrong, and then had me do it over and over until it was exactly as he wanted it. So, I would spend my free time doing extra practice and study so that the next time, I could do things perfectly. I worked hard, Risha. It was never enough though. His teaching methods were difficult. But I knew he wouldn't have taken me as an apprentice if he didn't think I would be a Jedi. He must have seen something in me that made him think I could make a good apprentice for him. So I kept thinking that, and convinced myself that his harsh words were how he showed that he cared about me. And that he wouldn't punish me if he didn't care."

"Then the physical abuse started?"

"The first time he hit me was a month after he took me as an apprentice. I had been late returning to our quarters. Not really late. Just ten minutes. That was enough. He pushed me down then slapped me across the face with his claws. I should have gone to the healers, but he locked me in my bedroom. After that, things just got worse. I could never live up to what he asked of me. I guess I was wrong to think that he ever cared about me."

The therapy session had ended after that.

Risha shook her thoughts back to the present. Yesterday was done. Today would be more difficult. But she was pleased with what she saw when she stopped at the doorway to his hospital bedroom. What she felt from the Force was even better. The change in mood wasn't extreme. In fact it really wasn't noticeable unless you looked for it. But it was there. Obi-Wan and Taj were with him, so she watched from the door, unnoticed for the moment. They had been playing some sort of holo-board game. Taj was currently besting both of them and try to defend his play as honest, in a friendly manner of course.

"I did not cheat. How could I cheat with the both of you sitting here watching me?"

"You've never been that good at this game," Obi-Wan fired back. "Last time we played, I kicked your butt pretty good."

"Yeah, but that was only because my eyes were half closed from being up all night studying for Master Windu's exam the next day. Since when do any of the council teach classes anyway? That was unfair. He knew we would all fail."

Arun then asked, "Did you?"

"Oh yeah. We all failed miserably. It was an impossible test."

"What did your master say?"

Taj looked at Arun, curious as to the question. He hadn't expected it. "He said not to worry much about it. The council has been doing that forever. But he still made me put in an extra two hours of study time that evening."

"He didn't punish you?"

"Just that extra study time."

"Oh." The green-skinned boy fiddled with his braid.

"Arun," Taj approached his words cautiously. "Punishment isn't supposed to be painful. It might hurt feelings once in a while or give us a reason to be upset with our masters for a short time, but what Master Vaan did do you was not normal…was not right. You'll see. When you get your new master, your life will change so much. And for the better."

Arun simply said "okay" and returned his gaze to the checkered board in front of them. Then he felt another set of eyes watching them. Looking up, his face brightened and expression became part of him again. "Risha!" The other two padawans looked toward the door to see the lady healer standing there. "Risha, these are my…my friends that we talked about yesterday. Obi-Wan and Taj."

"Hello boys. It's good to meet you. Who's winning?" Her silvery eyes motioned to the game board.

"Taj is winning. I'm not very good at this game."

"But you've never played before," Obi-Wan chimed in, attempting to put a positive spin on it. "And trust me, Taj is not this good." Then he lowered his voice and leaned towards Arun, smiling. "I still think he's cheating."

"Obi-Wan, I heard that. You do realize that I'm only two feet away from you, right?" Taj's eyes had changed from black to green and Arun noticed immediately.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" The youngest of the trio asked.

"Huh? Oh, what color are they?"

"Green. But they were black a minute ago."

"Hey, that's new. I don't think they've gone green before. Look at them, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan looked. "Yup. Green. Sort of an emerald green."

Arun asked again. "But what's wrong with them?"

"Oh nothing. It's just one of my unique quirks, I guess. My eyes have always done that. Well, since as long as someone started telling me they did. Usually they change to blue or even gray. Naturally they are black. Never seen green before though. Master Jerra will probably just roll his eyes at me and say 'That's nice, Padawan. Have you finished your studies?' He just doesn't understand how unique I am, that's all," he finished up with a mischievous grin.

Risha hated to break up the party, especially when she saw how nicely Arun was fitting in with his new friends, but they had other matters to attend. "Not that I want to be a downer on your game, but Arun and I have a bit of therapy to get to. And unless you want me inside your head…"

Obi-Wan was the first to get up. "No thanks! It's enough to have Master Qui-Gon in my head. We'd better go. Next time we play, I'm teaming up with Arun and we'll play two on one. Ha!" They picked up the game board and waved to Arun. "Bye, Arun!" Then Obi-Wan playfully shoved Taj through the door, still going on about cheating.

Arun laughed at them. It felt good to laugh. "Do we get to take another walk today, Risha? I really enjoy our walks."

"We sure do, kid." Arun's eyes gleamed each time she called him kid. He thought it silly to feel that way, but something about it made him feel more at ease. "And we'll go wherever you want to go. Terran says your injuries are healing very nicely. A lot of the bruises are just about gone. But we have something else to do before our walk."

The mood became more serious and Arun suspected he knew what was coming. The council. He brought it up before she could. "The council wants to talk to me, don't they?"

She nodded. The brightness that had come to his face upon seeing her initially, dimmed. "I'm sorry. Terran heard from them this morning. They finished questioning Master Vaan. And they are ready to act on imposing his sentence. But they want to talk to you first."

"What if they don't believe me?"

"The evidence collected from your apartment has already convinced them of what he's done. All you need do is answer their questions as best you can. Would you like me to stand with you?"

"Can you?"

"I can request it. I think Master Yoda will allow it."

"I don't know if I can do this, Risha. I…I'm scared to stand in front of them. What if I say that wrong thing or can't answer a question…or…"

The council was authority at its highest. Authority continued to be an issue for Arun. Not that he wouldn't obey it, or do what was asked, but it intimidated him deeply. He'd been visited a couple of times by Master Qui-Gon and Master Jerra and as much as he knew they would not hurt him, he had to call on all his training to not run from the room in fear. Risha's presence never caused those feelings or any negative reaction. She was not very tall. Not very broad. Being younger, she wasn't in a position of power that could do him harm. It's why he had attached himself to her so easily. He felt like she was a friend or an older sister that he could talk to without fear of recrimination or judgment. The council was a completely different monster. And he dreaded walking in there and facing them alone.

"You can do this, Arun. I know you can. Terran will be there. He will make sure that they don't go further than necessary. This is the only way you can really begin to recover from this. You have to put Master Vaan behind you. You have enough to deal with in what he did to you. I know you worry about what will happen to him. But you have no fault in what happens today with council's decision. Master Vaan brought this to himself. He treated you wrongly. He must pay for those crimes."

As much as Arun wanted to allow his emotions to take over, he forced himself into automatic mode again, as he'd learned to do in the presence of his former master. He gave Risha a short nod and then asked for her to excuse him while he cleaned up.

She left the room and found Healer Terran. The gray-haired man leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Fear. I can feel it already. I don't think he'll ever be ready for this, but I've already held the council off long enough. They refuse to wait any longer. I'm sorry, Risha."

"He might hate me for doing this to him."

"He won't. He cares about you. You're important to him. And that's not something he takes lightly. If we can get him past today, it'll be a huge step."

She opened her mouth to speak again, when Arun stepped out of his room. He was dressed neatly and cleanly in his tunic. His boots were shined. His belt perfectly straight. He looked the picture of a perfect padawan. How anyone could hurt such a child was beyond her. "You look very nice, Arun."

"Master Vaan always stressed how important it was to look the part of an ambassador. He…taught me how to make sure my belt stayed straight."

Translation: He probably had hit the boy several times until he 'learned' how to be sure that the belt was on perfectly. Risha's anger rose again, but she didn't allow it to show. "Come on then. Let's get this over with and then we'll take that walk." She put an arm around him noticing that this time he didn't flinch or try to pull away. It was a tiny measure of success.

Tbc…


	5. Chapter 5

Unbroken - Part 5

Mace Windu called him forward into the council's semi-circle of members. To the master's surprise, both Risha and Terran stepped forward with him. Mace began to protest when Yoda held up a hand.

"Permitted to stay, they are. A child, Arun still is. Difficult issues he is dealing with. Support they will be."

The healers bowed, then each took one step backwards. They could remain with Arun, but he would be the focus.

As his support stepped back behind him, Arun felt panic rising. He was already losing the battle with his fear. Breathing became fast and shallow. Eyes darted to and from each member of the council. He swallowed hard and blinked rapidly. So far though, he'd managed to keep his hands and legs from fidgeting too much. But the questioning hadn't even begun.

Then it did. Mace leaned forward. He propped his elbows on his knees and pressed his hands together. "Padawan Arun Na'dav. We have examined all evidence. We have questioned your former teacher, Master Salah Vaan. Although he denies that what he did was out of line and harmful, he doesn't not deny the actions he is accused of. And he does not regret them. He holds no attachment to you. Any bond you may have had has been severed."

Arun knew that. There had never been much of a bond. But it had been there, until two days ago. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but even with his limited attachment to the Force recently, he'd felt it break and then disappear.

Windu continued. "He will be appropriately punished for his crimes. There will be no recrimination towards you, Padawan Na'dav. The council finds no fault of yours in this. However, in order to be sure that the punishment is correct, we require you to answer some questions about Master Vaan's actions towards you."

There was a pause. Arun didn't know if he was supposed to speak or not, but he did with a, "I understand, Master Windu."

Mace began running through a list of questions. Most of them short and to the point. But that didn't make it any easier for Arun to answer them. With each question, he had to relive the horror that was his apprenticeship with Master Vaan. He did his best to respond to each question as asked. However, as the questions continued into certain areas, that became harder to do.

"How often did Master Vaan physically attack you, Padawan?"

"Several times a week, Master. There were a few occasions when it was more often."

"What instruments did he use in these attacks against you?"

"My light saber. His own hands. A couple times he used the hilt of his own light saber. But mostly…he used the Force against me."

Yoda broke in. "Scares you, it does. Using the Force."

"Yes, Master. I can feel it. And it feels safe. But I have not called on it in a long time. Not at all since I've been staying with Master Terran. It was used against me so many times, I get confused and…scared. It's not supposed to frighten me when I call on it."

"Indeed it is not. Work with you we will to bring trust again. Afraid of it you shall not be. Continue, Master Windu."

"Padawan, what do you feel towards Master Vaan?"

Again with that question. Arun's response though had not changed. His words only betrayed the abuse, not what he truly felt. "I do not hate him, Master. I feel sorry for him. I wish he could have had a better life. We could have been a good team. I know it. And I wonder why after he did these things to me, why he didn't feel badly about them. I would sit in my room afterwards. When it first started happening, I cried a lot. But after a while, it became part of me and I trained myself not to react. I would stare at the walls in my bedroom. I learned better about how to heal some of my wounds. I spent a lot of time self-healing. This all became part of me. I learned to deal with it as best as I could. I didn't know any differently. But I do not hate him, Master Windu. I cannot hate him. He is my Master."

The confession was more than the council had expected and some of them felt a flicker of pride for the boy. He was a true Jedi.

"Your master no longer, Arun."

The boy took a deep breath. He concentrated on his control. "Master Windu, who will my new master be?"

"A decision has not yet been made."

Arun managed to suppress his fear for one more question. His was concerned for himself and his future and wanted to be sure that the council was aware. "Masters, if I may. I am…unsure what I wish for my future. I do want to continue my training. I want to be a Jedi Knight more than anything. But I want to help. I…I am tired of hurt, Masters. I know what it feels like to be hurt. I don't wish it on anyone, even on those that seek to hurt us. I would like to request that I not be returned to field-duty where I may be forced to hurt or…kill another being. I would ask that you please take that into your consideration when deciding my new master. It's not my wish to be difficult, but I thought it right that you know my feelings." He ended with an extended bow and caught his emotions right before they took over. Blinking away the threatening tears, he settled himself. The fear was a bit less now. It was still there and still directed at the council, but he felt less of it, despite not knowing what his future held.

"Agree we do of your assessment of yourself, young Arun. A fine padawan you are. Discuss we will. Dismissed you are. Until our decision, continue to be supervised by the two present healers, you will be."

"Thank you, Masters." Arun bowed, turned and swiftly paced himself to the door. A hand on either shoulder slowed him.

"Relax, Arun. You did beautifully," said Risha. She was as proud of him as she'd ever been of anyone and was grateful that the council didn't push him over the edge with their questions. They'd maintained awareness that he was the victim, not the perpetrator of the crimes.

Once they were outside of the chambers and heading back towards the hospital, Arun looked up at Terran. "Could I have my data-pad, please?" The voice sounded almost desperate.

He handed it to him and watched as he hugged it to himself. "Thank you."

"It will always be safe with me, Arun. I promise." The older healer was still the only person that Arun had talked to about the stories that he wrote, and why that data-pad was so important to him. Risha hadn't asked Terran about it. She figured if Arun wished to tell her about it, he would. There were some parts of everyone's life that others just didn't need to know about. And she respected the boy's right to keep that privacy, especially since the news of Master Vaan's crimes had now spread through the temple.

"Risha, I don't want to walk today. Or talk. Can I just have the rest of today to myself? I just…I need to be alone for a while. I don't know why."

She squeezed his shoulder, understanding completely. She'd felt the fear radiating from him inside the council chambers. It and the questions, along with the resulting memories had taken a toll on him. Suddenly he looked much more exhausted than he did just an hour ago. "No need to try to explain. You take the day. Tomorrow is tomorrow. We'll worry about it then. Although we will talk tomorrow."

He understood what that meant. She'd have questions for him to bring out more of his feelings. There was no fear there though. Her method was calming and supportive. He began wishing and wondering if he could offer that type of comfort to others. He wished he could reach out like she did, with just words and a reassuring presence.

A thought crossed his mind as they got to the hospital. He kept it as a thought for now. Terran excused himself to see about several initiates being brought in for bumps and bruises. Risha gave Arun's hand a squeeze before she departed. All at once, he was alone. He changed into a more comfortable, casual tunic and pants. The data-pad set on the desk for a few moments until he grabbed it and returned to his bed.

He began writing. He continued until his eyes began to ache from the constant glare of the small screen. Popping his head up, he caught himself dozing. So he saved his story, closed the data-pad and secured it in the nearby nightstand. Then he tucked himself into the blankets and hoped for a deep sleep.

Sleep didn't come. Maybe it was the daylight still shining from his one window. Maybe it was the tension of all that had been happening. Maybe it was that nagging bit of concern that he still held for Master Vaan. Ultimately it didn't matter. He just couldn't find sleep, no matter how exhausted he actually was. So finally he gave up trying and went back to his writing. But even his writing couldn't settle him this time.

Late into the night, he pulled himself from bed and put on his robe. It smelled freshly washed as he breathed in the fabric.

Data-pad in hand, he left the hospital. His destination was the Living Gardens. The one place where he felt most safe and comforted.

The halls should have been quiet this time of night. Most Jedi would be sleeping. A disturbance came towards him though. A group of Jedi surrounded another who was bound at his hands and wrists. Despite their severed bond, Arun felt his master easily as the group approached. They were taking him to permanent confinement. Vaan no longer wore the uniform of a Jedi. He wore a plain beige tunic and pants that matched. All else had been stripped from him.

As they moved closer, Arun stood close to the wall. This was the reason he couldn't sleep. This was the reason he couldn't settle. It was no coincidence that he's ventured out in the middle of this night to go to the gardens. Something in him knew they would be moving his master at this time. It would be a much less eventful move than doing so in the middle of the day when the halls were filled with many Jedi. But Arun had known. Somehow, he had known. This would be the last time he would ever see the man he had called Master.

Watching the eight Jedi security team escorting the man through the corridors was difficult. He moved with them. Offering no struggle or protest. Arun felt his heart quicken as they came within a few feet of him. Breathing rapidly, he found the nerve to call out to the man. "Master Vaan."

The security team stopped. Aware of all around them at all times. They allowed the large man to turn towards the young student, but they did not allow him to approach the boy. Vaan said nothing with words, but his fuming black eyes spoke volumes. They bore into the padawan.

"I'm sorry for you, Master Vaan. I wish we could have been a great Jedi team. I respected your teachings and I always tried my best when you asked me too, and even when you didn't." He paused and pulled in a deep breath. "I…May the Force be with you, Master." A respectful bow. Then the team started forward again. The last Arun saw of his master was when they rounded the corner. Vaan never looked back.

And that was when Arun finally felt the full weight of everything landing on him at once. He stifled several sobs under his breath, but couldn't stop the flow of tears that started in earnest. Hurriedly he ran to the gardens and found the spot that he was most comfortable in. The data-pad out, he tried to write, but his hands were shaking too much, and he was having trouble wiping the water off the screen. He gave up, hugged the data-pad to his chest and wrapped his arms around his body. A slow rocking motion began. He couldn't catch his breath. Walls fell and everything finally broke loose.

It was hours before he gained some semblance of control. But even that wasn't enough to calm him completely.

He heard something. A familiar voice. Two of them. They came towards him slowly as so not to startle him. Looking over at them through blurry eyes, Arun watched them kneel close.

"Arun, are you okay? Terran and Risha were worried about you. When they found you gone this morning, they thought maybe we might know where to find you." Obi-Wan put a hand on his friend's knee tucked up against his chest. He saw the bloodshot eyes and the tear-stained face. He could feel the distress coming from him. "It's all right, Arun."

On the other side of him, Taj sat down shoulder to shoulder in a gesture of support. To his surprise, Arun leaned towards him. Taj put an arm around his shoulders. Arun was looking for comfort. It was something he'd never had in his time as an apprentice. And now he craved it. Taj didn't say anything. He really didn't need to. Just holding onto his friend seemed to be enough.

Obi-Wan placed a call to Risha, then to Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon and Jerra had also been helping in the search for the boy. All were relieved to know that he was safe. When they all arrived in the gardens, along with Terran, the scene before them was heartbreaking but reassuring at the same time. Arun was discovering that there were people who did indeed care about him. They cared about what was happening to him. And he had begun reaching out to them as much as his battered mind would allow.

A finger to his lips, Obi-Wan asked for the approaching group to stay quiet. Arun still lay against Taj. Eyes closed. The dark circles surrounding them were a clear reminder of the intense emotions that had wracked him these last hours. For now at least, he was quiet. Risha knelt close. Reaching a soft hand out to touch his face, she said "Did he say anything when you found him, Obi-Wan?"

"No, nothing. He was very upset. We didn't question him. I think he was just looking for…for someone to lean on by the time we got to him. Maybe this all finally became too much. I don't know how he's held things in for so long."

"He's a very strong young man. Something must have triggered this though."

From behind them they heard Qui-Gon speaking to someone on his comm link. The small device clicked off and the master knelt towards the foursome already on the grass. "That was Yoda. He said security transferred Vaan late last night. One of the team recognized Arun in the hall. I guess they crossed paths. Arun on his way here. And security was taking Vaan away. The security man said that Arun spoke to Vaan briefly, it appeared trying to offer some comforting words for him before he was put away. Vaan didn't reply back to him. They walked off after that. Perhaps that's what set all this in motion. Somehow Arun sensed that he had one last chance with his master. He said his peace. And then everything he'd been holding in slammed into him at once." He leaned closer to the boy, laid a hand on his arm and closed his eyes. "True healing can begin now."

The boy stirred. Qui-Gon quickly backed away. Risha was the first thing Arun saw then his eyes slid open. His head still supported by Taj's shoulder, he tried to smile. "Hi."

"Hi to you." She kept the conversation light. "Whatcha doing?"

"A lot of crying and emotional stuff unbecoming a Jedi." A small grin.

"Yeah, well, we all unbecome a Jedi at some point. Do you want to go home now?"

He lifted his head from his friend's shoulder. "I don't have a home. I can't stay in that hospital room anymore, Risha. It's dark in there, and…I miss my balcony." His voice sounded smaller and more childlike than ever.

"I'll see what we can work out. How about some breakfast first? The dining hall isn't too crowded this early. I'm sure they have some fattening food there to eat this morning. You're too thin anyway."

"Can Obi-Wan and Taj come?"

She glanced at the other to apprentices, already accepting the invitation.

The group made their way from the gardens towards the dining hall. Both Qui-Gon and Jerra put arms around their apprentices, proud of their direct involvement to help one of their own. Jerra's recovering leg slowed him down, but ahead of them, Risha and Terran walked with Arun. Every now and then, Arun would turn back to make sure his friends were still with him. He'd already lost his master, he didn't want to lose anyone else.

Obi-Wan glanced up at Qui-Gon. "If we had enough room in our apartment, Master, I'd ask if Arun could stay with us for a while."

"Your heart is with your friend, Obi-Wan. But that would probably be a mistake. He's still intimidated by those he sees as imposing authority figures. He would probably not be comfortable with us for long. But I sense something else. Something happening right before our eyes. I think he's already found the person he needs."

"You mean Risha?"

"Yes. He's more comfortable with her than anyone. It helps that she's younger too. It's less a teacher-student bond than a bond such as siblings might have. The Force will guide them both, so don't fret. If it is meant be, it will happen. Your role in this is just to remain his friend. Don't push him. I wouldn't even mention the possibility of he and Risha becoming a teaching pair. Let things happen as they will. You and Taj can be that balance for him that he's never had. From what I garner, Vaan didn't allow him to maintain friendships or to even make new ones. Probably because they would have figured out what was going on."

"It's sad, Master. I feel so badly for him. And it makes me angry, what he went through. Why didn't he ask for help? Why didn't he tell anyone what was happening to him?"

Qui-Gon tightened his arm around the padawan's shoulder, trying to ease the tension rising in the boy. "Fear is a very powerful tool, Obi-Wan. Arun seems the type that doesn't push back much. Less aggressive than you might be. We're all different. We all behave differently to situations. We can look at this now and ask those questions. Why didn't he do this. Why didn't he do that. But until we are in that situation and feeling what he felt, we can't say for certain how we would react. Arun was eleven years old when Vaan accepted him. That age is a difficult one. You remember it well as you're not much older than he is. And there is so much unknown when one is taken as an apprentice. A great deal of apprehension. A great deal of fear. Vaan keyed on that and took advantage of it. He played on Arun's weakness. And he won."

"Not in the end."

"No. Not in the end. In part thanks to you and Taj. Those questions you have, Obi-Wan? Keep them to yourself. Arun doesn't need to be reminded of his fear or what he could have done. I'm sure he's punished himself enough about that. Just…just be his friend. That's all he really wants. Someone to care about him." A final squeeze to the shoulder as they entered the dining hall. Obi-Wan moved away from Qui-Gon to sit next to Arun. Taj on the other side of him and Risha across. The two masters sat a couple seats down with Terran. Close enough, but far enough away to not cause any unneeded anxiety.

Conversation was kept light, but kept coming back to Arun asking to leave the hospital. As grateful as he was to the healers for setting him up there as a temporary residence, he was itching to get out. The hospital was reminding him of why he was there to begin with. For now though, there was no other option. The healers would not allow him back to his old quarters to stay. It just wasn't a healthy preference and the boy knew it.

He didn't sleep well that night. But he didn't wander away either. The immediate comfort he found was in his writing. Anymore though, it wasn't enough. There were people who cared about him now. His stories could only do so much. So when a soft chime at the door got his attention, he smiled. He knew who it was.

"You should be asleep, young man." Risha chided as she walked in. Her silver hair was easy to see in the dimmed light.

"I know. It's hard to sleep though, Risha. I have so many confusing feelings inside of me. Sometimes I don't know what to feel. And when I feel it, I don't know if it's right to feel it. I keep thinking about Master Vaan. He didn't say anything to me in the hall. He just glared at me as he always has done. But I hoped to make peace with him. I hoped to give him a few words of comfort. I know it doesn't make any sense after what he did to me, but…I hurt for him now. It…it's hard to explain."

"No, it's just your nature, Arun. We're all made differently. Think about it. If we all had the same likes and dislikes, the same reactions, emotions…the galaxy would be a pretty boring place now wouldn't it?"

The young shoulders shrugged in response.

"You don't like when people hurt. I suspect you've always been like that, but it's compounded itself more powerfully after this. You, my dear, are a natural born healer if I ever saw one. Which brings me to the point of why I'm here in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. Wait…didn't I just ask you something similar? You're a bad influence on my sad excuse for a mind, you know that?"

Arun laughed. Risha had the effect on him. She made him feel comfortable.

"Don't laugh at your healer. It's not nice. Okay, serious question time kid. How would you like to work with me as a trauma healer? No, I would not be your master. I have no desire to play that role. I know I'm not meant for it, so why pretend, right? Right. You would just be part of what I call our Emotional Trauma Team. You would work directly under me, but only since you are younger with no experience. But we all work evenly as a team. There are seven of us right now. You would make eight. Our job is that we travel to wherever needed. We are less medical than emotional help. We travel with a medical team, but we provide psychological assistance. Our focus is more on children, but if we can help anyone, we will try." She continued as she watched those dark green eyes begin to light up. "Of course we all still participate in things self-defense and saber training, things like that. You never know when we might have to protect ourselves, but with my ah, so-called saber skills…they'll never mistake me for Qui-Gon Jinn, I'll tell you that!"

Arun laughed again, trying to picture Risha with long hair and a beard.

"Probably not the best comparison, no. But I was thinking swords. But that is what we do. Which is how I came into your life. We even help our own when necessary. And the best of all…you get your very own quarters. Well, your own room at least. One that has it's very own private balcony. I would like you to come live with me, Arun. My place is big and it's too quiet there. It'd be nice to have some company. And you're sort of like a little brother type. I think we'd manage just fine together."

Not even a millisecond passed and Arun launched himself at Risha, grabbing her around the neck and hugging as hard as he could. It didn't matter that his eyes were filled again. It didn't matter that his emotions were gobbling him up. All that mattered was that someone cared about him. Someone loved him.

Risha returned the hug and laughed gently. "I take that as a yes then? You accept?"

The only response was a sturdy nod against her neck. And she had to pry him off eventually and sit him back down.

"Now listen to me. It's hard work. There is a lot of tedious studying of different races and planets. And a lot of understanding how various races react to various trauma. And you'll still be required to keep up with your saber practice. Actually, you might teach us a thing or two. It's difficult though. You know how much Terran studies and how many hours he commits to each day and each patient."

"Yes, he works harder than anyone I know. I like hard work, Risha. I like to help. I want to help. I want to do this. I won't let you down, I know it."

"That thought never crossed my mind."

"But, you wouldn't be my master?"

"No. You won't have one, although you'll keep the padawan braid and ponytail and all that odd stuff that defines an apprentice. And I still might harass you from time to time by calling you 'Padawan'. I'll be more of a teaching guardian, I guess. The team and I all learn from each other. We all help each other. The youngest will naturally take a following role. There is a senior member of our team, you'll like him. He's old and grumpy, and he loves to tell stories. I think most of them are fiction, but the way he tells them, you'd think they were happening right before your eyes. He's even…written a few down," she finished with a wink.

"Oh." Arun pulled back slightly and glanced at his data-pad on the nightstand.

"Sorry. Yesterday morning at breakfast you asked me to hold your data-pad while you went with Obi-Wan to get a second meal, you forgot to turn it off. I caught a glimpse of it as I was putting it to the side. I didn't go any further than a glance. I promise you, Arun. In no way do I wish to invade your privacy. But I saw enough to get an idea."

The boy fidgeted uneasily. "I've only told Master Terran about it. I was afraid of what others might think. That they would think it was silly that I was writing stories that weren't real. It's all I've had though," he confessed. Once he started, he realized he couldn't stop. "Master Vaan never knew. I hid it from him. It helped me deal with what he did to me. I could escape for a while from the pain and the hurt and be someone else. In my stories, I had friends. I had a master who loved me and looked after me. We helped people. We never hurt them. I wrote the life that I always wished I had and wondered if it existed. My stories didn't hurt me. They didn't talk down to me. They didn't criticize me. They just let me live as someone else for a while." He looked directly at her now, pleading for her to understand. "Maybe it's silly, but it's all I had, Risha."

"It's not silly, Arun. Not in the least. You said you practiced self-healing on a physical level. This was your emotional version of that self-healing. The old, grumpy guy on our trauma team that I told you about, Master Gruff? Yes, that is his real name, believes in the stories he tells. I asked him about it once. He told me that at times, they are his therapy. He's had a difficult life. You can see that in the stories he tells. Most of our team have had some type of trauma. It's why they have chosen to help rather than hurt. Just like you have chosen to do."

Picking up his data-pad from the nightstand, the boy held it tightly. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not. That decision is up to you."

"I don't know what Taj and Obi-Wan might think of me if I told them about it."

"Oh, I think they'd be pretty accepting. Of course I don't know them all that well, but they really like you. I doubt they'd think any differently of you. But again, that's your decision. You have to be comfortable with it."

"They're good friends. Without them, maybe I would still be with Master Vaan. They cared about me when no one else did."

"You'll get to spend time with them. As I said, this new direction as a healer won't be easy and you already know the type of hours you'll put in. But you'll have time to see them."

"They're going to help me build a new light saber."

"Yeah? What color?"

"Green."

"To match your eyes and skin. You'll be the most color-coordinated Jedi in the temple."

He laughed. Something she continued to be able to do. She made him feel better about himself. "When do I get to move to my new quarters?"

"After you've had some sleep. It is the middle of the night remember? Most normal kids your age are sound sleep and dreaming about breakfast. Tomorrow. We'll make it moving day. Keep in mind though, Arun that we're not done with your therapy. You've got a lot on your plate just yet. And I won't rush you into training for this new job of yours until I see that you are ready for it. So you know what that means."

"Yes. More talking. It does feel better when I talk about what happened, even though I don't look forward to it. It's painful, but it helps. And…you're easy to talk to. You don't make me feel bad about anything. Or that any of this was my fault."

"That's because it wasn't."

"I wish I could say that and believe it."

"You will, eventually. And that's enough talk for tonight. I'm tired. You're tired. Our beds beckon us. We should probably listen to them. I'll see you in the morning."

Before she left, Arun had one more question. "Risha, do you think Master Vaan hates me?"

"I honestly don't know, Arun. But ultimately, it really doesn't matter now, does it?"

"I guess not. It's just that, I wonder, even in his attacks towards me, if he ever actually cared about me."

She walked back over to the bedside and motioned him to lie down. Blankets now tucked around him, she squeezed his hand. "You have to let him go, Arun." It was all she said before drawing a hand over the boy's forehead and coaxing him to sleep.

Tbc…


	6. Chapter 6

This wraps up the story. Thanks to everyone for reading!

Unbroken - Part 6

The saber workshop was quiet. A group of initiates had filtered out not long ago, leaving only the three padawans. Arun had worked up a fine sweat chiseling the perfectly lined details into his new light saber hilt. He was proud of it the attention and work he's put into it. It represented his new life.

Taj's eyes lit to aqua blue when he held it in his hands, marveling at the intense detail. "Arun, this is beautiful. It makes mine look like an old trinket. You've got a knack with this type of thing. Let's light it up."

Taking the saber from his dark-haired friend, Arun pressed a button and watched the blade hum to life. It was the most brilliant shade of green he'd ever seen. His previous saber had been a blue blade. Green would continue to represent his new life. It would bring new memories, including the one he was sharing right now with his friends.

"Master Qui-Gon uses a green blade, but even his isn't that stunning a green," Obi-Wan said. "Risha will be proud of what you've created."

"She will. I get to move into her quarters today. A new room to make my very own. I can't wait. She had some patients to work with this morning though. So I have to wait a little while."

The three began walking from the workshop and towards the living gardens again. Arun carefully clipped his new saber to his belt. It fit perfectly.

"Looks good on you, Arun." Taj straightened his own saber. "Feels good too, doesn't it?"

"Yes. It's like a new beginning." Arun smiled at the thought, but part of him began reflecting back to his old saber and how it had been used as a vessel to cause pain. The sudden change in mood didn't go unnoticed by Taj and Obi-Wan. Arun was quick to pull himself out of it though and said quietly, "He can't hurt me anymore."

Obi-Wan tossed an arm around him. "No, he can't. Come on, we're almost to the gardens. Last one there has to eat Master Yoda's mush surprise in the dining hall tomorrow."

They sprinted to the gardens. Taj pulled his boots off as they got near the stream. Looking around for the tiny fish, he stuck his bare feet into the water. Obi-Wan followed suit. The game commenced. Arun watched from a few feet behind. He enjoyed their laughter and their friendship with each other, but didn't want to intrude on it. Then Obi-Wan called him over. "Come on, Arun! Three can play this game. Although I think the fish are beginning to develop a taste for human flesh."

Arun hesitantly removed his boots and his socks and sat between his friends. The small fish immediately tickled his feet and he pulled them back, snorting out a laugh at the same time. "Are you sure they don't bite?"

"No, but they're so tiny, they can't hurt if they do. They just tickle a lot. Watch out for the purple one though. I think he's a spy for the council. He just circles and circles. He must be the lookout." Obi-Wan smirked as he eyed the larger purple creature carefully.

"The council can't use fish to spy on us. Can they?"

"They're sneaky sometimes."

Taj just rolled his eyes and kicked water at Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, the council cannot transform themselves into fish. There are no shape shifters on the council."

"Not that we know of. But Master Piell sure looks like something that got stuck between shapes," Kenobi grinned right before being pelted with water again.

"Obi-Wan! You better hope that fish isn't a spy, or you'll be cleaning the floor the council chambers for the next year and a half…with your toothbrush."

Arun had gone quiet, other than his constant laughing. He couldn't bring himself to say anything because he was having such a good time. There were no negative thoughts anywhere to be had. It was the first time that thoughts of Master Vaan never entered his mind. He relished in the company. And then he made a decision.

Pulling the data-pad from the protection of his robe, he scooted back a few feet so his legs were out of the water. The other two watched him, figuring he was retreating back into his writing. They were surprised when Arun turned the data-pad on and handed it to Obi-Wan.

"Arun?"

The youngest of the three took a deep breath. "Obi-Wan. Taj. You are good friends. You care about me. I care about you. Part of what I need to do to continue to move away from my past, is to share it. That's what Risha said. But she said only I could make those decisions. My data-pad is part of my past. And it will be part of my future. I don't want to hide it anymore."

Obi-Wan took the data-pad and began toggling through the pages that Arun had turned on. To Arun's surprise, he didn't laugh or tease about it. He turned a genuine smile then handed the pad to Taj. Taj's reaction was the same.

Arun chewed his bottom lip nervously. "Silly, isn't it?" He prepared himself.

"No," Obi-Wan said. "Not silly at all. This is what you've been writing. When we first saw you here. And then other times. You've been writing fiction stories about the Jedi. About you and others."

"Yes. Risha calls it my self-healing. I've been writing since…" He didn't need to say when. They all knew what he meant. Since the time Vaan had begun abusing him. "I wanted you to know. I love my writing. It means everything to me. I even…" Pausing for a moment, he suddenly felt a shyness coming over him again. "My recent story, I wrote two friends into the story. They have different names, but they are you, Obi-Wan, and you, Taj."

Neither boy knew what to say. It was Taj who eventually broke through the emotional moment. "We are honored, Arun to have a place in your stories."

"You're my friends."

"We are."

Then Obi-Wan, "So that's why you've been so protective of your data-pad. It's been there for you when nothing else…when no one else was."

"Even when the Force felt like it was deserting me, I still had my stories. I could still escape."

The conversation went on. Two figures across the gardens, slightly hidden watched them, smiling the entire time. Risha turned to Terran. "I never thought he'd tell them about his stories. But I'm glad he has. It's a good step. He's been so reclusive for so long, not all by choice either. Each day he's making very positive steps."

The elder healer agreed. "Feels good, doesn't it? To have helped him so much. To see him come out of the dark shadows he was in. Makes this job that much more meaningful and fulfilling. The three of them are good for each other. I hope they never lose sight of that."

"I don't think they will. This has been difficult for all of them. And a learning experience for two. The foundation they're building looks strong." She sighed happily and cleared her throat loud enough to be heard as she began striding towards them. "Good morning, boys. May I borrow Arun for a while? We have some moving to do."

Arun's lightly greened face shone with a larger than life smile. "Now, Risha?"

"Sure thing, kid. If you're ready?"

He bounced off the ground and hurried towards her. Obi-Wan called him back. "Your boots, Arun. You might need those."

Arun gave a bashful 'whoops' look and hurried back to get his things. Obi-Wan handed the boots to him and the three stared at each other. Arun stepped forward and surprised them both with a small embrace. He left without another word.

Risha's apartment was large, but sparse. There were a few trinkets here and there. This and that. She was simple in her tastes. Nevertheless, the place felt homey. They entered the smaller of the two bedrooms, a room that was larger than the tiny one he'd known with Vaan. "This is yours. Do with it as you like. My only request is that you try not to be too messy, and to please, please, put the toilet seat down. We will be sharing a bathroom after all." A wink of her silvery eyes and Arun laughed.

"I can remember that." He wandered in, illuminating the lights in the process. A bed. A desk. A chair. A nightstand. A computer. A comm panel. A small closet. A small clothes dresser. "This is huge. I only had a bed, desk and closet in my old room."

"And," she moved to the desk, pressed a lock code in and opened a hidden drawer. "For your data-pad. That way you can lock it up when you leave and no one will know where to find it."

"Thank you, Risha. I will feel much better about leaving it home." He set the pad into the drawer, but it wouldn't quite fit. There was another object in there. Something wrapped in paper. "What's this?"

"You won't know until you open it."

He did. Inside the package was a brand new data-pad. Larger than his, but shiny and complete with all of the most recent technology.

"There's a message on the screen. Turn it on."

The pad brightened with just a soft touch. The message came on. "A new data-pad for the new chapter in your life. Love your friends, Risha, Terran, Obi-Wan and Taj.

"It was Terran's and my idea. Obi-Wan and Taj picked it out. We know it won't replace the one you use now. But maybe it'll take you in a direction that you never thought possible."

Without a word, he placed the new data-pad into the drawer, then stepped in front of Risha. His healer. His teacher. His friend. Burying his head into her robe, he hugged her as tight as he could and felt his eyes moisten when that embrace was returned just as strong.

Then he placed the old data-pad on top of the new and slid the drawer closed. A new lock code keyed in, and both were safely tucked away.

His eyes then found the glass door that led to a balcony. His very own balcony where he could go when he needed to be alone. Naturally, it overlooked the city. "This will be my favorite spot. I always loved watching the ships pass. The flow of the traffic. Master Vaan never let me out on our balcony. I could only go there when he was gone. But he always knew I'd been out on there against his wishes." His voice fell flat as he remembered the pain that his balcony time had cost him. It never mattered though. "If he didn't hurt me for that, he'd find another reason. I could never do anything right, even though I tried hard. I never stopped trying though."

Leaning his arms on the sturdy railing, he closed his eyes and breathed in. "Risha, can you help me meditate? I think I'm ready to stop being afraid of the Force. It can't be used against me now. I would like to find it again. Will you help me?"

"All you need do is ask, Arun."

He sat cross-legged on the balcony. His balcony. An opportunity presented itself. One he'd not thought of when he first walked outside. Risha was here with him. He could take on his fear before he had a chance to talk himself out of it.

Risha was surprised at the boy's sudden drop downward, but followed his action, allowing him to lead the way until he needed her. Green eyes and silver eyes closed together. At the first sign of apprehension, Risha reached over the took Arun's hand in her own. A gentle squeeze to reassure him that she was there, and that he was safe. Together they reached out as the Force reached back. It only took moments and they were entrenched deep within its power. Worries and past fears vanished from heart and mind. Arun found a peace that he'd never felt before. It called to him like a long lost friend. It embraced him and the gesture was returned.

Three weeks passed. Therapy was progressing well. Arun was talking about his feelings and expressing emotions that had long been hidden. He and Risha had formed a special bond. Risha was happy to have the company, and Arun was realizing how it was to live without constant fear of physical and mental abuse. Learning to accept praise was difficult for him. That was something Vaan had never done with him. Learning to let go of the guilt was even harder though. And it compounded itself late one evening after dinner.

A call from Master Yoda came in to the shared quarters. Risha took the call. The news caused her stomach to drop. "Damn it!"

Knocking on the outside of the door to Arun's room, she entered when the muffled voice invited her in. Arun was sitting on his balcony, writing in his new data-pad. There was no reason for him to ask who had come into his space and Risha carefully set herself down on the floor next to him. "Whatcha writing today?"

She'd become more comfortable asking about his stories. As a result Arun was more at ease in sharing some of his creations. Some stories though were still for his eyes only. Those were ones that dug into the deepest of his emotional depths. But others, he was almost enjoying in the sharing of them. Not only with Risha, but with Taj and Obi-Wan as well.

"A new mission. It's mostly just about friendship so far. And it's a little bit funny too," he said in a relaxed voice.

"Master Yoda just called. He wanted to let us know that something happened with Master Vaan."

Like a slam to the gut, the Force hit Arun hard and he knew the news wasn't good.

"He...they found him dead in his cell. He killed himself. They think it happened yesterday."

The mixture of emotions that rumbled through Arun's mind and heart at that moment threw him for a loop. He had worked so hard to put Vaan behind him. Yet there was always a tiny part of them that worried about him in his confinement. His former master was a strong, prideful man. This was that last news the boy had been expecting.

A hand on his offered support, but couldn't stop a new flow of pain that began washing though him. Wiping at his eyes, he felt weak. Crying for this man. This man that had hurt him so terribly. But he couldn't stop the tears. Eventually, he stopped trying. Secure arms wrapped around him and began rocking him. Risha whispered soothing words. "That you can cry for him after what he did to you is a tribute to you as a Jedi and a young man, Arun. Don't be ashamed to cry. He was your master when all is said and done. You tried to love him. You tried to care about him. To feel his loss is just a normal part of life. It's all right."

Thirty minutes went by before he gained control of himself. Sniffing and running the sleeve of his tunic across his nose, he engaged in a deep breathing exercise that Risha had shown him. It was settling. "I don't know why I feel anything for him."

"Because you have a good heart, Arun. There is no guilt to be had here, so I don't even want you thinking that. And I know you are. You do not blame yourself for this. Understand me?"

He nodded, but was unconvinced. The healer knew what was coming next. The boy's pattern when he'd recovered from a trying emotional episode.

"Would you mind if I go to the gardens for a while?"

"Alone time, huh?"

"Yes. It's just…it's how I deal with some things. It helps me focus. I'll keep my comm link on though, so you won't worry."

"Go easy on yourself, Arun."

He grabbed his data-pad, the old worn one The comfortable one. Then he hurried out.

The spot he so often favored was empty. He bent down and curled his legs under him. Data-pad open and ready, pen in hand, he started writing. He stopped only when his comm link sounded. He expected Risha's voice, but was greeted with another.

"Arun, hi. It's Obi-Wan. Taj is here with me. We heard about Master Vaan. We just wanted to see if you were okay."

The voice made him smile briefly. As usual, there was no pressure behind it. No blame. Nothing that made him feel worse about what happened. Just his friends making sure he was well. "Hi, Obi-Wan. Taj. I'm okay. Just spending some time alone in the gardens. Well, not alone really. I have my data-pad with me. It's easier to work things out sometimes when I'm by myself. Especially when I'm confused about things."

"We don't want to crowd you, Arun. Just offering a friendly ear if you need one. If you need anything, you let us know. We're both leaving on missions tomorrow. But you can call or write if you need to. Okay?"

"I'll miss you both while you're gone. Please come back safe. And wish safe trips to your masters as well."

"We will. May the Force be with you, Arun."

"And with you both. Safe journey." The click disconnected the call and Arun sat back to write again. New emotions piled on top of those he was already dealing with. The realization that his friends were leaving off-planet for the first time since he'd known them. They had been such a huge factor in his recovery thus far, he hoped he could do just as well without them to lean on. Of course he also thought of their safety. There was always that possibility that his friends would never return. He tried to push the negative way though. But he did wish to see them off. Picking up his comm link, he called home.

"Are you all right, Arun?"

"Yes, Risha. I'm fine" he sniffed unconvincingly. "Can you find out something for me? Obi-Wan and Taj are both leaving for missions tomorrow. I'd like to see them off, if I could. Could you find out when they are leaving and from what area?"

"Consider it done, kid. You coming home soon?"

"In a few minutes. I just want to finish up something I was writing."

"But the time you get here, I'll have the information for you. See you soon."

Arun stood near the landing pad talking to his friends. As it turned out, they were leaving on the same ship, for the same mission. That gave him a feeling of comfort. Less chance that anything would happen to one of them if they were working as a team.

Qui-Gon and Jerra had finished loading their bags onto the ship, and had come to stand with Risha for a moment, who was watching Arun say his goodbyes.

"How's he doing, Risha?" Qui-Gon's asked, his voice concerned.

"He took Vaan's death surprisingly hard. Last night was difficult. This morning, much of the same. But he really wanted to see those two off. He'll be okay in time. We've made great strides together and he's settled in comfortably in my place. There's a lot of potential in that boy. It's a shame Vaan only abused him with it. He's a good kid. Just has a lot to overcome."

The big master gave a half smile and put a hand on the small woman's shoulder. "You and he will make a fine team. You have youth on your side. And he truly does enjoy your company. He's told Obi-Wan many times how happy he is about working and living with you. Says it gives him a feeling of home that he's never had." A pondering pause, then "Will there be a proper Jedi funeral for Vaan?"

"I believe so. Arun expects it. To be honest, I think he needs it. A final closure perhaps. It's been amazing to me how much feeling he had for Vaan. How can one see through so much hurt and still not hate the one who caused it? I don't think I could be so forgiving if I was in his shoes."

"It speaks a great deal about his character. And it's what should make him a fine healer. We'll talk more when we return. We must go now."

The masters moved to their padawans and motioned for them to board. The three boys exchanged waves and separated. Arun watched his friends disappear up the ramp. Moments later, the ship lifted away and into the flow of the Coruscant traffic.

As the remaining two turned for home, they came across Yoda in the hallway.

"How feel you, Padawan Arun?"

Arun needed to be open. He knew Yoda would be able to see right through any façade he tried to erect. "It's a difficult time right now, Master Yoda. I'm having many emotional trials with hearing of Master Vaan's death and seeing my good friends leave for a potentially dangerous mission. But I'm working hard to deal with everything."

"Glad I am to hear this. Concerned I have been for you."

The boy felt his cheeks warm slightly as the admission of concern from the ancient master. It hadn't been expected. "Thank you, Master Yoda." He stopped for a second, then knelt down and addressed the small troll directly. "Master Yoda, I would like to request a proper Jedi funeral for my…for Master Vaan. I know it may not be appropriate given the crimes he committed, but…he was always a man of pride, at least towards himself. May I request that his body be allowed to burn on the pyre?"

The old master studied the young student. Looked into his determined eyes, searching for something. Searching for belief in his words, as opposed to an emptiness. He found that the words held emotion and meaning. They were not simply kind words that the boy thought should be spoken. Sincerity surrounded them. Yoda nodded. "A proper funeral he shall have. In five days. Bring closure it will."

Arun gave a deep bow before standing up again. "Thank you, Master Yoda."

The tiny creature hobbled off. Risha came to Arun and ruffled his sandy hair. "You done good, kid," she smiled, eyes gleaming. "Come on, let's go home. We've got work to do."

The funeral pyre had been lit. Vaan's body was engrossed in flames. Arun stepped back after having set the man's light saber on his chest. A last act of kindness to one that never offered him the same.

A look around the room showed only a small group. Of the council, only Windu and Yoda were present. Terran and Risha were there of course. And four others. Obi-Wan and company had arrived back home from their mission barely an hour ago. A short and successful one that was a simpler resolve than they could have ever wished for. Truth be told, Qui-Gon and Jerra pushed the quarreling parties hard on the mission. It was for their padawans more than anything. After finding out about Vaan's funeral, they thought it important that the two boys be there to support their friend if at all possible.

Arun was aware of the few present. He hadn't expected anything more. Actually he was somewhat shocked that any of the council other than Yoda were there. His friends were there. An unexpected surprise that they were able to complete their mission so quickly. He was grateful of their presence.

Hoods were drawn. Each Jedi placed his hands into the sleeves of his robe and lowered their heads in mourning. Arun knew it was only he who felt any pain. The others were there for support. He lifted his head to watch the body burn. And when all that remained of the man that had abused him were coaled ashes, Arun waited until the others departed before he reached up to wipe away the last the tears that he would ever shed for Master Salah Vaan.

Two steps toward the pyre. A deep bow.

"Goodbye, Master. I hope you find peace in the Force."

He hugged his small data-pad to his chest and walked from the room into the awaiting embrace of his friends.

They were the ones who had saved him when others refused to see. They were the ones who had loved him when another had spewed only hate.

With a final thought, he forever put Master Vaan behind him. It would be months or even years before the emotional scars would vanish, if they ever completely vanished at all.

His friends would have patience though. They would give him time when he needed it. Or comfort if he craved it.

They cared about him. And in the process of doing so, they had given him that one thing that he had ever really wished for. To be loved and cared for by those he was so fortunate to have as friends.

END

12


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